The Seeker
by Warriorcat890
Summary: "My name is Cat, and this is my story..." Cat never knew her father after he abandoned her pregnant mother. Now Cat is older and on her own, she vows to find him. She soon finds out that he has joined a "Clan". Along the way, she meets a bunch of interesting characters that join her on her quest. And who knows, this ugly she-cat might finally find love. ALL OC.
1. Preface & Allegiances

_The Seeker - Preface & Allegiances_

This is my new Warriors fanfic. It contains A LOT of OCs. In fact... the whole story is about OCs. It takes place long ago, before the Clans left the forest. This is the first book of three. This is also finished so I will posting chapters quickly. This mostly takes place outside of Clan territories and in made up settings. All of the characters and most of the settings in this story belong to me. I hope you enjoy. :)

I do not own Warriors.

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**Preface**

My name is Cat.

Do you know what it's like to be named after what you are? The puns and snide comments are endless.

My mother is all the family I have. I never met my father. My mother always told me that he left her after he found out she was expecting kits. Sometimes the story would change—in one, he would leave her for another she-cat, and in others he would leave her to join this Clan of wild cats that lived in the forest near the river. I never knew what to believe since her story was so inconsistent.

Without my father around, she always said that life was even more difficult than normal—she had to hunt for herself and take care of herself since my father wasn't there anymore. I was born two leaf-bares ago when the ground was coated with snow and the river was almost frozen solid. My mother told me that it was a hard birth and I once had three littermates, but they died shortly after to greencough. She named me Cat because she didn't know what else to call me.

I wasn't pretty—I was a dark, tortoiseshell she-cat with brown as a base color, and ginger, white, and black splotches splattered carelessly across my pelt. My left eye was blue and my right eye was green. I had a flat, scrunched-in face and long fur that was matted in some places and completely gone in other, showing bare patches of skin. No tom would ever want to mate with me. I was not beautiful, but I was relatively smart. I was smarter than most cats I've met. I had a certain ability to be able to work things out if I thought about them long enough—maybe it was just the fact that I spent the time thinking about things that others didn't think about.

As I grew, my mother taught me how to hunt, and how to fight. She raised me as well as she could, but I would never say that she loved me. My mother was not the emotional mother that tells their children she loves them daily; she was strict and constantly scolded me. Sometimes, she would beat me down with her sharp tongue—insult me, degrade me, make me feel like I never should have been born. Maybe she wished that. I knew she blamed me for my father leaving.

Now, she's older and a severe case of arthritis has contained her to our small den. Normally, I would have left her by now and gone off on my own to begin my own life, but I couldn't leave my mother; she could barely walk let alone hunt for herself. So I take care of her now, hunt for her, fetch her water, groom her—all of the things that she can't do anymore with her stiff muscles.

My mother will die soon. Her arthritis is getting so bad that she can barely move her jaws to eat and drink. When she dies, my plan is to try to find my father. I've never really taken an interest him, but I want to find him and meet him. I want to see what he's like—he helped bring me into the world after all. I didn't know if he would be a cat that I would want to have in my life, or if he would be a cat that I would instantly hate, but I had this self-fulfilling prophecy that I needed to find him. However, my mission was not going to be as simple as I had hoped.

My name is Cat, and this is my story.

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**Characters**

**Cats Outside the Clans**

**Cat:** dark tortoiseshell she-cat with mottled brown base color and ginger, white and black patches on her fur, one blue eye and one green eye, a flattened face and long, matted fur and furless in some places

**Misty:** brittle gray tabby she-cat with darker stripes and blue eyes, short, smooth fur, and white-tipped tail; Cat's mother

**Storm:** muscular, broad-shouldered dark gray tomcat with bright blue eyes, one white paw on his front right leg, a white-tipped tail, a white muzzle, and v-shape cut in his left ear; Bagel's brother

**Bagel:** slender light brown tom with a white underbelly, chest, muzzle, paws, and tail-tip, as well as green eyes; former kittypet; Storm's brother

**Fern:** light brown tabby she-cat with a white muzzle, amber eyes, and her tail is missing, presumed to have been bitten off

**Soda:** slender, sleek light gray tom with blue eyes and white-tipped tail

**October:** longhaired white tomcat with orange eyes and a flat face

**RiverClan**

**Leader: Icestar:** large, sleek, white tomcat with bright green eyes, broad shoulders and large paws with long, sharp claws and a long scar stretching across his right flank

**Deputy: Reedtail:** slender, sleek dark brown tabby tomcat with even darker stripes and amber eyes with a white-tipped tail

Apprentice: Duckpaw

**Medicine Cat: Shoreleaf:** slender white she-cat with amber eyes and a scar across her nose, she is also deaf in one ear

**Warriors:**

**Otterclaw:** long-haired, dark brown tabby tom with green eyes and a white-tipped tail

**Troutfin:** light gray tom with darker gray flecks, blue eyes and white paws

**Beavertail:** large, broad-shouldered dark brown tom with amber eyes and darker brown paws and tail

Apprentice: Mosspaw

**Wavestorm:** slender, sleek gray tom with green eyes and torn ears

**Lilypool:** pale ginger she-cat with amber eyes and a white dash on her chest

**Blackclaw:** large, black tom with green eyes and a white-tipped tail and a large scar stretching from his forehead, across his right eye and down to his chin

Apprentice: Mothpaw

**Pebblefur:** gray she-cat with darker gray flecks and amber eyes with white chest, underbelly and tail-tip

**Heronflight:** large, plump white tomcat with blue eyes and large paws

**Salmontail:** ginger she-cat with unusual black paws and ears

Apprentice: Mintpaw

**Featherpelt:** long-haired gray tabby she-cat with blue eyes and a long, bushy tail

**Snowfall:** pure white she-cat with amber eyes

**Moonshine:** dark gray she-cat with small, almost unnoticeable white dots in her fur and pale yellow eyes

**Apprentices:**

**Duckpaw:** small, dark tortoiseshell she-cat with orange-colored eyes and a pretty face

**Mosspaw:** brown tabby she-cat with bright green eyes

**Mothpaw:** golden tabby she-cat with amber eyes, a white muzzle, chest, underbelly, paws, and tail-tip

**Mintpaw:** white she-cat with gray legs, ears, muzzle and tail-tip and blue eyes

**Queens**:

**Sweetflower: **pretty light gray she-cat with pale yellows eyes; she is the mother of Blackclaw's kits: Rootkit (brown tom), Minnowkit (light gray she-cat), and Robinkit (ginger she-cat)

**Gingertail:** pale ginger she-cat with amber eyes; she is the mother of Icestar's kits: Troutkit (gray tom), Willowkit (gray she-cat), and Rainkit (gray tomcat)

**Cloudflight:** pure white she-cat with blue eyes; she is the mother of Heronflight's kits

**Elders:**

**Stormcloud:** dark gray tomcat with pale yellow eyes and a scar across his chest

**Foxtail:** ginger tomcat with white paws

**Nightclaw:** black she-cat with blue eyes

**ThunderClan (partial)**

**Leader: Acornstar:** brown tabby tom with amber eyes and white chest and underbelly

**Deputy: Lakestorm:** black tom with blue eyes and white ears

**Medicine Cat: Ashleaf:** pale gray tabby tom with darker stripes and blue eyes

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A/N: This is only the beginning!

Did you like this chapter? Leave a review and let me know! If you've liked what you've seen here, and you wanna see more, click on my username to say more!


	2. Chapter 1

_The Seeker - Chapter 1_

This is the first chapter of this fic. I'm warning you, it starts out kinda slow, but picks up in the next chapter. :)

I do not own Warriors.

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**Chapter One**

The mouse didn't even see it coming. I leapt three tail-lengths across the forest floor and landed squarely on its tiny shoulders. After killing the small prize, I buried it quickly, wanting to try to catch something else for myself before it got dark. My mother was always the priority when it came to hunting. She was weaker than I was, and not to mention more fragile. I could go a day without eating, but my mother was nowhere near strong enough.

I opened my mouth to taste the air and try to detect something more. If I found a large piece of prey like a squirrel, bird, or rabbit, I would give that to my mother, and I would eat the mouse. Even though she had never truly been a good mother, I loved her. All mothers get on their kit's nerves, but the kit never truly stops loving them. A mother is a mother, and without one, the kit would never have been born. It was the least I could do to take care of her in her old age.

The sunlight shining into the forest through the dense leaves of the trees above began to fade. The trees began to cast long shadows over the ground as the forest around me grew darker. In the east, the sky was full of dark colors—a mixture of blues, blacks, and grays—and in the east, the sky was bright and vibrant as the last rays of sunlight shone red, orange, pink, and purple across the sky in an array of colors. Not wanting to risk staying out too long, I returned to where I buried my mouse, and decided to head back to the den.

The den that I shared with my mother was located near the only stream that ran for another sky-length. When I was a kit, I used to play in the stream, liking the way the cool water felt rushing around my fur. Once my mother found out, however, she forbid me from ever playing in it again. I didn't understand why she refused to let me, but I didn't question her when I was that young. The den itself was a hollowed out fallen oak tree with a large hole on the top of the trunk that we used to access the den within. Inside were two nests I had made using moss and feathers. My nest was closest to the entrance, and my mother's was further inside in the shadows.

I scaled the side of the log in one bound before descended into the darkness of the den. I could smell my mother's scent wafting toward me from the shadows, and padded in that direction. "Mother? It's me. Cat," I called hesitantly dropping the prey near her scarcely visible belly.

"Cat?" she rasped. Her voice sounded old and dry. I wondered how long her mouth had been so dry.

"Are you thirsty? I'll go get you some water from the stream. I caught you a mouse," I added, nudging the tiny, limp prey further toward her. As my eyes adjusted to the dim light, I saw her lying on her side as always in the shadows, her head resting on the softest spot in her nest. I could barely make out the faint rise and fall of her flanks as she breathed. I moved the mouse closer to her jaws, trying to encourage her to eat.

"Thank you, Cat," she grunted and turned her head to grab the mouse by the tail and pull it closer. I moved in to help her, but a growl rumbling from her chest made me stand down. She somehow managed to awkwardly gulp down the mouse and let out a loose cough. "Get me some water will you?" she asked, breathless from the exertion of the coughing.

I climbed out of the den and bounded over to a nearby birch tree. Unsheathing my claws, I raked them across the moss that was growing at the base of the trunk. Once I was able to tear a clump off, I picked it up between my teeth gently and padded to the riverbank. Carefully, I set the moss in the water, and held it stationary with my paw as it soaked up the water. I then quickly picked it up and rushed back to the den.

My mother lay on her nest motionless. Fear gripped my heart, but a moment later, her eyes flicked toward me. "Bring it here, Cat," she instructed, flicking her tail ever so slightly toward her mouth.

I did as she instructed and set the moss as close to her mouth as I could and applied some pressure to it with my paw. The water squeezed out from the moss and my mother lapped it up hungrily. Once the moss was as dry as it was going to get, I pushed it away and began to groom myself. Even though I groomed myself daily, my ragged, matted pelt was a hopeless case.

"I don't know why you bother," my mother muttered from her nest. Her blue eyes were glaring at me from the shadows of the den.

The sun was completely submerged behind the horizon now, and the stars were just beginning to become visible. I knew that soon, moonlight would be shining into the den. "Why don't you go to sleep, mother," I suggested, trying to keep the bitterness from my voice. "It's getting late."

She let out an irritated growl. "I thought I was the mother here," she muttered.

I lashed my tail in annoyance before curling up in my own nest. I lay with my back toward her and listened to her breathing, trying to calm down and get some sleep myself. Soon, her breathing slowed and became more rhythmic. Sighing peacefully, I closed my eyes and soon slipped into sleep myself.

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A/N: Did you like this chapter? Leave a review and let me know! If you've liked what you've seen here, and you wanna see more, click on my username to say more!


	3. Chapter 2

_The Seeker - Chapter 2_

You're gonna notice that most of these chapters are really short. That's because the people on the website I originally posted it on were like... 10 and older and if the chapters were too long, no one would read them. I know there are more mature readers on here (like myself, lol) that enjoy longer chapters, and I will try to make longer chapters for the sequel, but for now, this is how it must be.

I do not own Warriors.

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**Chapter Two**

I woke up early the next morning to the sound of gagging. Fear seeped into me, stretching out long icy fingers and gripping my heart. In an instant, I was on my paws and bounding to my mother's side. Her entire body wrenched as she coughed up the mouse I had caught for her. "Mother?" I practically yowled, on the edge of panic. "Mother!" Her body heaved and she let out another massive cough.

She dug her unsheathed claws into the floor of the den and then sheathed them, tearing up the bark from the tree. "Cat…" she spluttered. "Cat…"

"Mother," I whimpered. Tears blurred my vision. She wasn't exactly a loving mother, but she was my mother after all. I loved her… and I couldn't bear to even think of losing her. "What is it? What do you need? Tell me, I'll get it for you. Mother!" I promised. My entire body was shaking with fear.

"Water… Cat… I need… water," she gasped between her coughs.

I leapt out of the den and onto the top of the tree trunk. My eyes quickly adjusted to the forest that now shone silver around me. I could see the stream a few tail-lengths ahead, meandering through the forest creating a rhythmic, constant bubbling noise. I launched off of the trunk and raced to the birch tree. In one swift movement, I scratched off a large clump of moss and carried it to the stream. Once it was thoroughly soaked, I rushed back to the den and quickly laid it by my mother.

By this time, she was writhing horribly. I had to help her lap up the water, my using my paw to turn her head toward the liquid. "Mother…" I whimpered as all the water was gone and she lay twitching before me.

"Cat…" she rasped. "Listen to me… Listen… my kit.

I moved closer to her, my ears pricked. "What? What is it?" I asked licking her cheek tenderly. I didn't want to lose my mother. I might have thought she was an annoying old bone-bag earlier that evening, but at that moment, I was terrified to lose her. I didn't want to be rid of her. I didn't want to be alone.

"Your father…" she groaned as her hind leg kicked out in a spasm. "Your father… is named…" she trailed off as another spasm shook her.

"What?" I asked, completely disoriented. The fear clouded my mind and made me unable to think clearly. I was too overwhelmed to comprehend her words, or to even understand what was happening to her. "What are you—?"

"Ice," she choked out. "His name was Ice. He was your father. He left… He left me so he could join River… River…" She let out another abrupt, violent cough that shook her entire body. "He met a she-cat… and…. they… he… River… Find River…"

"Mother?!" I yowled as her spasms died down and her movements came to an abrupt halt. Her body was motionless, and her beautiful blue eyes were still open, staring at the wall of our den. "MOTHER?! MISTY?!"

Misty—my mother—remained immobile.

"Mother?" I cried, the tears flowing from my eyes and trickling down my cheeks. The faint rise and fall of her flanks was gone. I couldn't hear her breathing anymore; I could only here the sound of the stream trickling and the other night noises that were going on outside of the den. "Mommy?" I tried for the last time, letting out a mangled sob.

I had to face the fact: My mother was dead.

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A/N: Did you like this chapter? Leave a review and let me know! If you've liked what you've seen here, and you wanna see more, click on my username to say more!


	4. Chapter 3

_The Seeker - Chapter 3_

This one's a bit longer. :)

I don't own Warriors.

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**Chapter Three**

The next morning when the sun was at its highest, I decided to bury my mother at the base of the birch tree. I spent the entire morning grooming her, and making her look as great as I could… But no matter how good she looked, she was still dead.

I dug a hole large enough for her lithe body to fit in and laid her inside. I was hesitant to leave her body unattended, but I risked it, and went into a meadow near the forest and gathered some sweet-smelling flowers. The stems tasted horrible as I carried them in my mouth back to her grave, but it was worth it as I laid them in the hole with my mother. I arranged them it looked somewhat natural before saying a few words.

"I'll miss you, mother," I murmured as I began to cover her back up with dirt. With a heavy heart, I covered her up with the loose dirt before returning to our—my den. Normally at that time of day, I would have been hunting for my mother, or for myself, but at that moment, my empty stomach was not my main concern. It felt as if a large hole had just been punched through my entire being.

I padded over to my mother's old nest and lay down, burying my nose in the moss and inhaling my mother's scent that still clung to the bedding. "Mother…" I whispered, feeling the tears brim in my eyes once more. I snuggled further into the nest, wishing I could be buried in the moss that held my mother's comforting scent.

The sounds of birds trilling their mid-day songs, and the constant bubbling of the stream eventually lulled me into a sound sleep. However, my dreams were anything but comforting. I relived my mother twitching do death, and then I saw a large, white tomcat standing behind her, glaring at me with large green eyes. Then, the image suddenly changed and I was in a river, but it was not the one outside of my den. It was larger and the water was not clear, but a dark, muddy brown.

Waves splashed at me from all angles, stinging my eyes and filling my mouth. My head was submerged below the surface of the water. "I opened my mouth to breathe in air, but got a mouth full of water. I continued to sink lower and lower below the surface. I watched with horror as what little sunlight that shone through the water disappeared and I slipped into the depths…

I woke in my den with a start, gasping and struggling for air. The dream seemed so real, too real. I shuddered in fear and just rested my head on my paws, breathing in my mother's comforting scent.

The chilling realization suddenly dawned on me, and I didn't welcome in lightly. The sky was graying as dawn broke on the eastern horizon, but I was in my mother's nest, and my mother was no longer with me. My mother was dead. A part of me longed to climb out of my den and see her grave, but another part was terrified to face the truth of the matter.

The sounds of prey scuffling about soon greeted my ears as I listened to the animals in the forest, as well as the rushing of the stream, and the sounds of the wind rustling the leaves above. The scents of mice, rabbits, voles, and the occasional bird flooded over me, and made my mouth water. My stomach growled with angry confusion as it questioned my brain as to why I was lying in the den when I could be out hunting. My stomach was the most reasonable voice I'd heard in a long time.

I pulled myself out of the and perched precariously on the fallen tree, my eyes searching the ground, and my ears pricked, alert for even the faintest indications of prey. All of the mouse-brained prey that had disregarded the heavy stench of cat, were apparently now smart enough to remain quiet and out of my sight.

After descending the log, I padded hesitantly toward my mother's grave. I lowered my head and peered at the dirt curiously, seeing the tiny paw prints of something small—most likely a prey item. I opened my mouth to taste the air and detected the faint, but unmistakable stench of a rat. Growling, I followed the scent, determined to end the little pest.

I followed the scent trail downstream and finally found the little vermin drinking from the stream, occasionally looking up for predators—like myself. As a watched a few others came out, chattering amongst themselves, probably plotted the day—that was not too far off, I might add—when they would take over the world… well not if us cats had a say in the matter.

Crouching low, I bunched up my muscles and prepared to spring. Just as I was about to launch off the ground, a blur of movement to my right caught my attention, but I didn't detect it fast enough. In the next instant, I was blindsided and thrown into the stream with my attacker.

The instant the surface of the water closed above my head, fear clenched my heart. My dream was still too fresh in my mind for my comfort. I opened my mouth to breathe in hear, but got a mouthful of water. My paws flailed wildly as I struggled to reach air. At last, my head broke the surface and I gasped in air. Another head emerged beside me and I saw a pair of blue eyes gleaming at me.

I let out a snarl of fury and lunged toward him in the water, even though my paws could not touch the bottom. The other cat flinched away, but not fast enough. I felt my claws snag in the cat's shoulder, and it let out a yowl. "Let go!" the cat yowled. I recognized the voice to be that of a tom's, but it didn't matter. I pulled myself closer to him and sank the claws on my other paw into his chest.

"You shoved me into the stream you rotten fox-heart!" I snarled at him, and then proceeded to call him every bad name I knew.

The tom, paddled toward shore, tugging me along with him, and it wasn't long before my paws brushed against the gravel bottom of the stream. "Happy now? You're on dry land!" he growled.

I retracted my claws from his flesh and bounded out of the water completely. The tom stared at me as I shook out my matted pelt shamefully like a dog. I realized that I should at least try to act like a she-cat… but I wasn't that pretty anyway, so why try to pretend to be some prissy she-cat when I'm really not? "Who are you anyway, and why did you decide to make me take a bath?" I snapped.

The tom looked at me almost curiously. He had smooth, bluish-gray fur, a white right front paw, a white tail-tip and bright blue eyes. He had a muscular build with broad shoulders, but a gentle, handsome face. His only imperfection I could spot was a v-shape cut in his left ear. "My name is Storm," he replied simply. "And for the record, I didn't mean to push you into the river."

I narrowed my eyes and rasped my tongue over my right foreleg. "Why are you in my territory?"

Storm suddenly averted his gaze. "I didn't know this was your territory. In fact, I didn't know that the territory had even been claimed."

Resisting the urge to hiss and demand whether or not he was mouse-brained enough to not smell the border markers, I looked back up at him. "Well, now you know, so why don't you leave?"

He didn't move. "I live on a farm nearby."

"That's nice," I muttered, turning away from him, back toward where the rats had been.

"My brother lives in a house nearby," he added, following me.

Annoyance prickled under my pelt. What was with this cloud-brain? I whipped around to face him. "What part of 'leave' don't you understand?" I hissed.

Storm didn't seemed hurt by my harsh tone at all either, which only increased my anger. "Well, I just… I mean besides my brother, I don't really see many other cats."

I forced myself to look up at him, trying not to attack him out of pure irritation. "So?"

"So, maybe we could be friends. I would like to show you my barns sometime. It's about half a day's walk west of here. It's rat-free too. I make sure of that," he added, puffing out his chest with pride.

His pathetic display made me snicker. "Okay, then," I chuckled, turning away once more. I began to walk down a small path back toward my den, hoping to escape him.

"What's your name?" he called after me, before bounding up to walk beside me. "You never told me."

"And you never told me why you pushed me in the river, so I believe we're even!" I snapped back at him.

Storm looked at his paws, but didn't stop. "I didn't mean to push you into the river… I was going to help you, but you attacked me."

Irritation rushed through me like a burning fire. "Then why in the name of the spirits did you attack me?!" I snarled.

He shrugged. "I guess I was just happy to see you."

I let out a hollow laugh. "Happy? To see me? Please. No one's happy to see me. I'm the ugliest cat you'll probably ever meet."

Storm shook his head. "No. I don't think so."

"You've got a couple branches broken in your tree then," I retorted. "Now, leave me alone, will you?!" I hissed, and bounded forward, desperate to get away from him. This morning I would have died to have some company, but now I just wanted to be alone.

I slowed farther up the trail and turned around to see if was following me. To my relief, he wasn't. I let out a happy sigh and turned around and hissed in surprise. There he was, right in front of me. My hackles rose and I bared my teeth. "Don't do that you son of a badger!" I growled.

Storm's lips twitched at the edges—was he trying to smile, or just be that strange kind of cool? I wasn't buying it. "Well… you didn't fulfill your side of the deal?"

My jaw dropped as I just stared at him in disbelief. "What deal, you bee-brained fool?!" I demanded.

"Well, I told you why I shoved you in the stream, and now you need to tell me your name," Storm replied with a certain innocence in his voice that made me want to claw my own insides out.

"It's nothing fantastic," I warned him. "I don't want you to be disappointed," I then added smugly.

He shrugged. "A name is a name, one doesn't have to like it," he answered.

"Cat. My name's Cat."

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A/N: Did you like this chapter? Leave a review and let me know! If you've liked what you've seen here, and you wanna see more, click on my username to say more!


	5. Chapter 4

_The Seeker - Chapter 4_

Flashback time! :D

I don't own Warriors.

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**Chapter Four**

After I told him my name, Storm seemed to be satisfied enough to leave me alone for the rest of the day. I ran back to my den, and jumped inside the fallen tree, and snuggled into my mother's nest with another empty stomach. At that moment, I did nothing more than just enjoy my solitude… I even allowed myself to enjoy the silence without my mother's snide comments about my pelts or my status as being mate-less. As soon as I thought it, though, I regretted it, and went back to grieving.

My stomach bothered me for the rest of the night, scolding me for leaving it empty for yet another day. I tried to ignore it, but its loud rumbles were difficult to block out. I just kept my eyes closed and tried to focus on the darkness so I could slip into an uneasy sleep.

Just I was beginning to nod off, thunder boomed overhead, making me jump. I looked up to see lightning flash across the sky and a powerful gust of wind rake through the flimsy tree branches above. I hissed and scooted further away from the open hole in the roof of the den, trying not to wish I had gone to Storm's barn with him.

I watched as the heavens opened up and rain began to pour down from the dark, ominous clouds. The huge droplets splashed all over my old nest, some splattering my fur, making me growl with annoyance. My thick, matted pelt was still damp from being pushed into the stream earlier that day, and it would probably take a moon to dry completely! I didn't need to get any wetter. Still, the persistent raindrops splashed closer to me. It was only then I realized that the wind was blowing them in my direction. Did Mother Nature have a beef with me, or something?

A part of me wanted to find Storm's barn and take shelter there, but another part reasoned that to get there, I would have to go out in the rain anyway. Storm had said that his barn was about half a day's walk from my woods, so it would take half the night to get there, and I would look something the stream washed up!

Thunder shook the ground, and lighting flashed once more across the sky. The wind wailed as it surged through the tree limbs above my head. I wished that my mother was there. I was no kit, but at times, I could act like one. I wanted my mother to be there and comfort me… I wanted her to lick the space between my ears and tell me that acting like a coward would get me nowhere in life. I wanted her to scold me for my fear and force me to face it… but how could she do that now? She couldn't.

The night was long, and I didn't sleep at all. Despite my best efforts to stay out of the path of the rain, I was still damp in the morning. My bones ached from the wet and cold I endured the previous night. When I went to stand up, my muscles were stiff from being bunched together all night, and I had a kink in my neck.

By the time dawn broke, the storm had moved on, but water was still dripping from virtually everything. With great effort, I pulled myself from the tree and stood on the tree trunk, looking around at the forest. I raised my head to the trees and a sole leaf fluttered from and landed at my paws. A chilly gust of wind slapped me in the face suddenly, making my shiver, and blowing the leaf away. I shuddered once more, but not from the cold. Leaf-fall would come to the forest soon.

I looked over toward the stream and thought of it frozen… like it had been the when I was born. Quietly, I gasped as memories began flooding back to me…

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_"Cat! Stay away from that stream!" my mother hissed from her perch on top of the fallen tree. "You will fall in, and then you'll freeze to death from the cold!"_

_ I ignored her warning and continued toward it until I reached the bank. Hesitantly, I reached one paw out and touched the surface. To my surprise, it was cold, but hard. "Mother!" I called, proud of my discovery. "It's solid! I can't fall in, it's hard!" Happy with myself, I slowly began to put weight on the solid water, to further test my analysis. _

_ "Cat, if that ice breaks under your weight I will not be the one to drag you out!" my mother warned, but I could hear her leap off the tree and hit the ground with a soft thud._

_ Ice. It was called ice. When my one paw didn't fall in, I put my other front paw down on the frozen surface. "Look mother!" I called, very pleased. "I'm not going to—" Suddenly, there was a loud crack that cut me off in mid-sentence. I barely had enough time to gasp before my entire front end slipped into the frigid water._

_ "Cat!" I heard my mother yowl from the surface, but her voice was muffled by the water. I opened my mouth, searching for air, but only got a mouthful of water. A moment later, someone grabbed my scruff and pulled me from the water. "You stupid kit!" my mother scolded between my fur as she carried me back to the den._

_ She took me inside and plopped me down in her nest. "I told you not to go too close to the ice, didn't I?" she growled. Her blue eyes were as cold as the water as she glared at me. "Didn't I?"_

_ I nodded glumly. "Yes, mother. I'm sorry. I really didn't think it would crack," I whispered._

_ "'Didn't think,' Ptah!" my mother scoffed as she rasped her tongue over my flank. "That's because you don't think at all, do you?"_

_ I winced at her words, and hung my head. "I'm sorry, mother."_

_ She let out an irritated growl. "You're just like your father, you know that? Always heading toward water… Always breaking the rules, always doing things the hard way, but never listening… Never caring…" she muttered._

_ My mother proceeded to grumble as she groomed me, and I looked down. "Why isn't my father here?" I braved the question._

_ She looked at me and arched one eyebrow. "Cat… I'm going to tell you exactly why he's not here," she replied, her voice thick with a mixture of anger and sarcasm. "Your father is no longer here because he didn't care if he broke my heart or not! He only wanted what he wanted, and so he left me after he found out I was pregnant and ran off to the forest to join this group of wild cats that scourge the forest of all its goodness. Mainly, he was running from his responsibilities as a father, and a mate. He is a bad cat to be like."_

_ My heart sank as I remembered that she said I was just like him. "Do I look like him? Is that why you hate me?" I whimpered, feeling the tears come to my eyes._

_ She looked at me, her eyes wide with shock. Immediately, she showered me with affectionate licks. "Oh, Cat…" she whispered, nuzzling me gently. "My kit, I could never hate you. Ever. I love you. You're my daughter. You're my only kit… You just get on my nerves sometimes, but all kits do that. I know I'm harsh on you, but I need to be. The world is not a place that will love and coddle you. The world will be harsh and treat you like dirt. I don't want you to be unprepared for that… Call it an act of love if you will, but that's why I'm hard on you. Cat, don't ever think for a moment that I hate you."_

_ I purred, hearing her words. "Thank you, mother. I love you too," I whispered, nuzzling her back._

* * *

My heart cracked at the memory. At that moment, I don't believe that I had ever felt so lonely in my life. I remembered Storm's words about being lonely too, and I began to see reason. I looked over at my mother's grave and sighed.

"What do you think, mother? Should I find him?" I asked, not expecting an answer. I looked in the direction of his barn and sighed again. "Half-day's walk…" I murmured. "Well… I'm wasting time." With that, I set off in the direction of Storm's barn, wondering if I had any sanity left.

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A/N: Did you like this chapter? Leave a review and let me know! If you've liked what you've seen here, and you wanna see more, click on my username to say more!


	6. Chapter 5

_The Seeker - Chapter 5_

Well... stuff... happens.

I don't own Warriors.

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**Chapter Five**

I set off toward the west, traveling in the same direction as the sun. It wasn't long before I left the wood, and my former life behind, and headed blindly into a new world. I came out into a field that stretched for at least half a sky-length. A few tail-lengths before me was this strange structure that appeared to be made of wood. Upon closer inspection, I discovered that it stuck of Twolegs, but was indeed made of wood.

After slinking under the lowest brank of the structure, I proceeded through the field, my neck fur up. I didn't like being out in the open. My dark fur would stick out like a beacon to any predators flying overhead. I kept low to the ground, and kept my ears pricked and mouth open to scent the air, staying on alert for any danger.

As I continued through the open field, a strange sound hit my ears. It was like a deep, throaty, guttural groan. I unsheathed my claws and headed toward the noise, my hackles raised. Shapes appeared on the horizon that appeared to be larger than I even that far away, and there were many of them. The smell of manure and dirt hit me in the face like a sledgehammer as I got closer. I let out a fit of coughs and were finally able to make out these strange, smelly creatures.

I'd never been so close to a cow before, but my mother had told me about them. It was a large creature—much larger than I—and was white with large brown spots on its pelt. I let out a hiss when I saw the sharp horns protruding from the sides of the creature's massive head and took a step back. Another thing I noticed was that they didn't have paws like I did, instead they had these weird feet that looked almost like blocks of wood split in two down the middle.

They didn't pay much attention to me and my exploration. They didn't even seem angry that I was there; they just nonchalantly chewed their cud and let out an occasional bellow. I realized that if I stayed near the cows, I would be less likely to be seen by any hungry hawk or eagle flying above. So, I traveled toward Storm's barn through the herd of oblivious cows.

It took shorter than I thought it would to finally get a glimpse of the barn on the horizon. As I neared it, I realized how large it truly was. It rose far into the sky like the tallest tree in the wood I lived in did. It was about as long as one as well. There was one large entrance on the east side that opened up to reveal a large space with a lot of straw scattered over the ground, a few bales stacked along the walls and further back into the barn. Above me were more wooden structures like the ones around the cow field. They extended across the top of the barn spread out equally over the large area.

"Cat!" a voice called from nearby.

I looked around, but saw no one. Movement finally stirred from one of the stacks of hay bales that required closer inspection. Once I was closer, a paw sprang up and claws sung into the bale. Another paw emerged, and was followed by a familiar face. "I didn't think you'd ever come!" Storm purred as he struggled to pull himself on top of the bale.

"Well, here I am," I muttered. At that moment, I longed to be back in the wood where I was familiar with my surroundings. Here, it was like an alien world that I knew nothing about. I felt so strange being here… it felt too open with no cover accept for the hay bales. It felt unnatural.

Storm finally managed to pull himself up onto the top of the bale and licked his left forepaw nonchalantly before rubbing it over his muzzle once. "I'm glad to see you."

His words surprised me. No one had ever told me that in my life. "Why would you be glad to see me?" I asked before I could stop myself. Why would he want to see me? I was ugly. I was undesirable. I was not… normal. I wasn't like him—streamline, smooth pelt, bright eyes, and handsome face… No. What was I doing?

Storm looked at me, puzzled. "Why wouldn't I?" he counted simply.

I stared at him for a moment and opened my mouth, but closed it, unsure how to respond to his words. Storm leapt off the bale and landed beside me, facing the opposite direction. "Will you be staying the night?" he inquired, looking over his shoulder at me.

Again, I was surprised. I just stood there with my mouth gaping. How could he accept me so easily? "Um… I suppose so," I replied in a shaky voice. Was I really going to stay here? Is this what I wanted? Would I ever return to my beloved wood? Maybe… maybe it was better if I did put the past behind me, but at the same time… I just couldn't bear to forget it.

His whiskers twitched, and his lips curled slightly at the edges. Was that his attempt at a smile? "Alright, then. Come on. I'll show you where you can make your nest."

I followed him like a lost kitten as he led me in between to stacks of hay bales. I hissed, not liking the enclosed feeling. The hay scratched my fur and snagged at the mats. My whiskers brushed against the prickly grass and became irritated. I wanted desperately to paw at my face, my eyes stinging. I must be allergic to it or it was just the incredible amount of dust in the barn.

After weaving through different "tunnels" in that crazy labyrinth, we emerged to a small clearing in the hay. To my right was a large pile of straw on the ground there was one area that seemed to be imprinted as if a creature had been lying there for a long time. It was then that I suddenly realized that this was his nest… Would it become my nest now too?

"I sleep there… You can too if you like, or I could tear some more straw—or hay if you prefer—out of the bales and you can have your own pile," Storm offered.

I shook my head. "No… you don't have to. I can sleep there," I mewed. The idea of sleeping next to heat source again made my hopes rise. Storm would be able to keep me warm at night… Storm… would keep me… warm? Now I was thinking crazy thoughts! Whatever happened to my sanity? My sense? Was I really turning into one of those soft she-cats that rely on toms for everything? My mother didn't need a tom in her life and neither do I!

Storm looked at me with a soft, reassuring look in his blue eyes. "Okay then," he nearly purred. "Are you hungry? I could catch you something," he offered once more.

Irritation prickled underneath my pelt, and I resisted the urge to claw his face off. "I can hunt for myself thank you very much! I am insulted that you would even entertain the notion that I couldn't!" I snapped. My voice was on the edge of a growl.

He took a step back, his eyes wide. "I didn't mean it like that! I would never mean to offend you. I was offering because you are my guest is all. I want to make you comfortable so…" he cut himself off abruptly and looked away.

"So what?" I demanded, taking a step toward him. My anger was getting the best of me. The few sense I had left reminded me that this was not a good way to make friends, but my rash side shoved the thought away.

"So you… so you might stay," he whispered.

I looked at him carefully, searching for an interior motive; looking for his reasons. Perhaps I wasn't the only one who was lonely.

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A/N: Did you like this chapter? Leave a review and let me know! If you've liked what you've seen here, and you wanna see more, click on my username to say more!


	7. Chapter 6

_The Seeker - Chapter 6_

Sorry guys, this chapter is unbelievably short. :/

I don't own Warriors.

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**Chapter Six**

After spending the afternoon hunting with Storm in the barn, we decided to turn in for the night. We returned to what I decided to just call "the den" and ate our prizes. Neither of us spoke much—maybe were just getting used to one another's company. When it was time to turn in for the night, I knew I wasn't the only one who felt awkward.

I went to the nest first and laid down next to his impression in the straw. The nest smelled of him, and somehow, his musty scent reminded me of my mother in some strange way. Somehow, I felt safe.

Storm came over and took the place beside me. He shifted so he could see me and I him. "Good night, Cat," he murmured, his voice sounding soft, and husky, almost as if he were apart of the night. Moonlight shone through a hole in the roof of the barn and coated both of us in silver light. His bluish-gray pelt now shone a pale gray and his blue eyes seemed outlined against the ghostly light. I couldn't even begin to imagine what I looked like. Could me with my hideous looks even begin to compare with his perfection? No… no I had to stop speaking about him like that.

"Good night, Storm," I whispered. My heart was pounding in my chest. I hadn't realized how close we'd me when I made the decision to sleep next to him. I could see every detail of his face; I could see the different shades of blue in his eyes. "Sweet dreams," I murmured, feeling self-conscious.

He purred slightly before rolling over, allowing me to let out a breath I had no knowledge that I was holding. I tried to calm down my heart and closed my eyes, hoping to get some rest.

* * *

"Cat! Wake up!" Storm's voice jerked me awake from my hunting dream. I sat up in my nest and blinked my eyes a few times. It took me a few moments to remember where I was and why. I looked over to see Storm gazing at me with a wide grin stretched across his face and looking as happy as a clam. I then remembered with a start that I had slept next to him the night before… Oh spirits, I had slept next to him!

"What is so important that you had to wake me up from my marvelous dream?" I growled, clearly annoyed.

Storm was, as before, unaffected by my rotten mood. "Come on. There's someone I want you to meet!"

Muttering to myself, I got up and shook out my fur. "Who? And this better be good."

He just purred and flicked his tail for me to follow him once more through the labyrinth of tunnels created by the spaces in the bales. Storm led me out into the open where we had been the night before. Before us stood a small, slender light brown tabby tom with a white underbelly, chest, muzzle, paws, and tail-tip. He had bright vibrant green eyes, unlike Storm, and wore a green collar around his neck with a bell in front. I bit back a hiss as I realized what he was—a kittypet.

"Cat, this is my brother Bagel," Storm meowed.

* * *

A/N: Did you like this chapter? Leave a review and let me know! If you've liked what you've seen here, and you wanna see more, click on my username to say more!


	8. Chapter 7

_The Seeker - Chapter 7_

Don't worry, the cat we meet isn't a main character. It'll be alright. :)

I don't own Warriors.

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**Chapter Seven**

Bagel's ears twitched as he gazed at me. His face seemed almost puzzled as if he wasn't sure whether he should be disgusted or charmed to meet me. "_This_ is the she-cat you raved about?" Bagel asked in disbelief.

I snorted in fake laughter. "I'm not something to rave about," I muttered.

Storm glared at Bagel with narrowed blue eyes. "Bagel, be nice. She's all alone just like me. I'm not the only one who doesn't like being alone."

"So… she's your mate?" Bagel asked the last question I wanted him to even consider.

"No!" Storm and I both yowled in unison. "No," Storm said again, looking at his paws almost sheepishly. "We're just friends. There are no… romantic feelings between us. Right Cat?" he asked shooting me a friendly look.

Something about the tone in his voice made my heart wrench. It was almost like he was ashamed to even think about mating with me. Was I truly that ugly? No. I couldn't think about it. I was an independent she-cat that just wanted to find her father. I didn't need Storm. Why should I care if he liked me or not? I was leaving soon anyway.

"Right," I murmured, trying to keep the sadness from my voice.

"Well then," Bagel muttered. "I don't know why you found it so important to introduce me to her. If I was you and I didn't want to mate with her, I'd get rid of her. I'd be embarrassed to be seen with her."

I growled, my neck fur rising. "I have ears, you know," I snarled. "Why don't you go prance back to your Twolegs like the pathetic kittypet you are?"

Bagel's hackles rose. "Are you calling me out for a fight? You really don't want to fight me you oversized rat with matted fur!" he growled, fury blazing in his blue eyes.

"I bet I could kill you, you soft-foot! Your Twolegs probably got your claws removed. I bet they even took you to the Cutter and removed the purpose of you being a tom in the first place!" I snarled, trying to goad him. I wanted to fight him. I wanted to claw him to shred for what he said about me.

"Why I ought to—" Bagel began, but was cut off as Storm threw himself between us.

"Stop this!" he hissed disapprovingly, glaring at his brother. "Stop talking about Cat like that, and Cat," he meowed, turning to me. "Stop baiting him."

I snorted with fake laughter again and turned away from both of them, my neck fur still prickling with rage. "He deserves to be clawed senseless," I muttered. I licked my forepaw, irritated. I wished that Storm had just stayed out of it and let me give that kittypet what he deserved. How dare he speak to me like that when I was a true cat—a wild cat—and he was a stupid Twoleg plaything!

Bagel hissed at me before leaving the barn, with Storm following him. While I was alone, I got time to gather my thoughts. I thought about what my mother said. My father's name was Ice and he joined a Clan of wild cats… How would I even begin to go about finding him? Where would I even begin? And then there was the matter of telling Storm that I would be leaving. Could I really hurt him like that? He had just found a companion, and now I would have to leave him? Could I do that?

"Cat," Storm's voice called from the entrance to the barn.

I looked up at saw him standing there, the midday sun shining down onto his pelt, making it glimmer almost unrealistically. "Yeah?" I asked before licking my paw, and then rubbing it over my muzzle.

"I'm really sorry. I didn't know he would treat you like that… I am really sorry he said those things to you. Really I am," he murmured, padding over slowly as if he'd rehearsed this.

"Storm… I'm sorry too…"I replied, not meeting his gaze.

"Why?" he asked, moving closer so he was only mouse-lengths away.

"Because I'm leaving," I whispered. "I'm sorry, but I have to."

I watched as Storm stared at me from the corner of my eye. His face was impassive, but his eyes were not as guarded—I could see the anguish there.

"Why?" was all he asked.

"I need to find my father," I told him, forcing myself to look at him. "I've always wanted to meet him… and I just need to find him."

He studied me, his face unreadable. "Do you know where he is?"

"My mother said he joined a Clan of wild cats… Do you know where there are any?" I asked.

He thought for a moment, and then nodded slowly. "Yes… I have an idea. I have a friend though that would know more. I can take you to meet her," he offered, his eyes brightening at the thought of helping me.

I took a step back warily. "Alright… How far away do they live?"

Storm thought again. "About… I'd say about a day and half south of here. Her name is Fern. She said that her mother used to be apart of a Clan."

For once, I was glad Storm was with me. "Really? That's great! When can we leave?" I practically purred. The fact that I had a lead to act on made me want to jump for joy. That meant I actually had some idea what I was doing. I might actually be able to do this. I might actually find my father!

* * *

A/N: Did you like this chapter? Leave a review and let me know! If you've liked what you've seen here, and you wanna see more, click on my username to say more!


	9. Chapter 8

_The Seeker - Chapter 8_

Traveling begins.

I don't own Warriors.

* * *

**Chapter Eight**

After a day of traveling, I was more than pumped up to meet this Fern. Storm and I talked little during the travels, and as soon as we reached a nice place to spend the night, I went hunting. I managed to catch a pigeon for us to share, but when I returned, I saw that Storm had caught a mouse for himself.

"Do you want to share this?" I asked, lying the bird at his paws. "I thought I was hunting for the both of us."

Storm gazed up at me warmly from his position on the ground. "The mouse scurried by and I saw it so… but yeah, I wouldn't mind a little something extra," he purred.

I sat beside and him and began plucking some of the feathers off before biting into the bird. Storm was already chewing and looking at me thoughtfully. As he gulped his mouthful, he sighed. "You know, I can understand you wanting to find your father and all."

After swallowing, I looked up at him curiously. "What do you mean?"

Storm sighed and looked at his paws. "Cat… can I tell you something… personal?" he whispered after daring a quick look at me.

"Um… Sure?" I asked more than declared. I was not sure what to expect from this at all. What could he possibly want to tell me? I couldn't begin to guess, and a part of me didn't even want to know.

"Well…" he began, sighing. "I never really told anyone this before, but I was born a kittypet—like Bagel," he confessed.

I resisted the urge to hiss. I kind of had a beef with kittypets. They're pathetic house cats that spend more than half of their lives indoors and come out into the forest for some "adventure" and to do things "their friends would never even dream of!" and catch a mouse or two, and steal my prey. They have no idea how hard it is to live on your own and provide for yourself and live like a true, wild cat. They live in their soft little houses with their Twolegs and eat that disgusting manufactured slop the Twolegs feed them. And when a Twoleg wants to touch them, they _allow_ them to do it! Sometimes they even _ask_ them to do it by brushing up against them, trying to act all cute. They are anything but real cats.

"Well… my mother was a kittypet to these two elderly Twolegs. She had Bagel and I and we lived there for about three moons with the Twolegs. They were really kind to us—they fed us, gave us a place to stay, and looked after us. When we were born, my mother was too young to produce milk for us, so they fed us until we could eat real food.

"One day though, the female Twoleg collapsed and her mate panicked and never left her side. Bagel and I wanted to go investigate it, but mother told us to stay away. Soon, more Twolegs came and carried the female out and the male followed. The female Twoleg never returned and the male was seemed really upset that she was gone."

"Twolegs don't feel anything," I muttered. "They aren't sentient like us—they don't have enough brains to feel."

Storm shook his head. "I don't think so. Cat, I think that they are a lot smarter than we give them credit for. My mother always was there to comfort him and he seemed to know that she was only trying to make him feel better. Bagel loved him—he thought that Twolegs were the greatest thing in the world. He always has. I always wanted to be outside and run through the trees like a normal cat, you know? You have that same desire; I can see it in your eyes.

"But even if I did take to the Twoleg, I wouldn't have been able to spend much time with him. About a moon after the female left, he did too, and we were left alone in the Twoleg den. Bagel waited every day for the Twoleg male to return. After about a week of waiting to no avail, my mother decided it was time leave. Bagel tried so hard to convince her otherwise, by my mother was stubborn, and her decision could not be wavered. The Twoleg had left a window open and we squeezed out.

"My mother took us deep into the forest and taught us how to hunt. I always wondered how she had gotten so good at it, but whenever I asked her about it, she would be evasive. I could never get a good answer out of her, so I just stopped asking. I could only assume that she had done this before… Maybe she was born a wild cat—one like you—but she never said.

"Bagel could have cared less about what we did. While I took an interest in this new life, he just followed us and became almost mute. He rarely spoke, and when he did, it was complaints. He was never fit for this life, and I think we all knew it. He was always meant to be a kittypet, and nothing more, but he was content with that life, and that was what mattered…

"My mother took us far away from our former home and brought us here. She said that there were Twolegs here that would take care of us. She told us that they could give us a better life than she could. Bagel ran up to the house without hesitation, but I couldn't bring myself to do so. I was watching him run off, and when I turned around, my mother had already left. I didn't want to go meet the Twolegs, so I ran into the barn and I've lived here ever since."

Once he had finished his story, the two of us just sat there in an awed silence. I never knew that Storm had been through that. I had thought about never knowing my father and how he treated my mother horribly, but I had never even thought about what would happen if she abandoned me. I wouldn't know how to take care of myself… I would have been lost without here. "Wow… I never knew," I murmured, looking at him, sadly.

He shrugged and let out a weak sigh. "Yeah, well… I know why you want to find your father… Not a day goes by when I don't wonder where my mother is and if she's even still alive."

I took a deep breath and forced myself to tear my gaze away from his face. "Well… I appreciate your help," I whispered. _Wow,_ I thought. _What in the name of the spirits possessed me to say that? Oh well. I guess I am grateful that he's here. Without him, I wouldn't have any leads._

If I didn't know better, I would say that he purred at that, but I knew that I was just hearing things. The sun was dipping below the horizon, leaving a sky a brilliant array of pinks, purples, yellows, reds, and oranges. In the east, the colors were beginning to fade that that deep bluish black that made up the nighttime sky.

Storm and I lay underneath an elderberry bush listening to the crickets chirp their evening song as the setting sun cast long shadows over the land. We spent the rest of the evening grooming ourselves. Storm offered to help me, but I refused. There was no way I was going to let him try to fix my matted fur. Grooming myself was futile, but it killed time.

As the moon rose high in the sky, and began its climb to its climax high above our heads, we nestled down for the night. It was chilly outside for a greenleaf night, but the thought of Storm by my side kept me warm. Before I fell asleep, I found myself pressed up against him, breathing in his delicious scent, and enjoying the harmonious sounds of his breathing. "Good night, Cat," he whispered so softly I thought I was dreaming. For all I know, I could have been, but it didn't stop me from replying.

"Good night, Storm."

* * *

A/N: Did you like this chapter? Leave a review and let me know! If you've liked what you've seen here, and you wanna see more, click on my username to say more!


	10. Chapter 9

_The Seeker - Chapter 9_

We got Storm's backstory in the last chapter, now we have the aftermath.

I don't own Warriors.

* * *

**Chapter Nine**

The next morning, Storm told me that we would reach this Fern character just a little after sunhigh. Despite Storm's confession the previous night, there was still an awkward tension in the air between us. I wasn't one to make conversation, but even Storm who seemed to be talkative didn't say much. Every time one of us got too close to the other, an electric shock would go through me, but it was… pleasurable. I didn't understand… I didn't even [i]_want_[/i] to understand.

As sunhigh neared us, I was finally able to spot something in the distance. Another old barn that looked similar to Storm's was erected on the horizon. I squinted in a desperate effort to get a closer look, but it was a futile effort. "Is that it?" I inquired, shooting a sideways glance at Storm.

The tom nodded his head in silence. He was behaving almost reverently, as if this cat we were going to meet was some god. I shrugged off his strange behavior and padded alongside him. "Do you think we'll be there soon?" I asked him. Great spirits, if _I_ was the one making conversation, something was wrong.

He nodded weakly, but again didn't speak.

I pricked my ears toward him, listening for even the faintest murmur, but could find none. Usually he was all for conversation… why had he suddenly changed. "Is there something wrong?" I queried. There was an edge to my voice that I had not intended to be there. With the edge it sounded more like: "Is there something wrong with me?"

Storm heaved a sigh and sat down on his haunches. "Cat… Do you hate me?" he whispered.

I turned to face him, eyes wide. Why on Earth would I hate him? The only thing he had done for me since I met him was be kind to me and help me… "No, of course I don't hate you. Why would you ask that?"

He shrugged nonchalantly. "I don't know… I told you my story, and… and now… well I was just expecting you to hate me."

Cocking my head to the side, I just stared at him. "Why would you expect that? Is it because you used to be a kittypet? Storm, I don't care about that… I mean… I don't particularly like kittypets, but you aren't one at heart… You're good… and kind…" I trailed off. _What in the name of the spirits are you doing, Cat?!_ my subconscious demanded. What did I expect? That I would tell him that he was a good cat and he would suddenly be in love with me? I was unlovable. No one could ever love me. No one could see past the ugliness on the outside.

Storm let out a small purr. He raised his one white paw to his muzzle and licked it a few times. "Do you really think that?" he asked, putting his paw back down. "That I'm good and kind?"

_Fox-dung!_ "Yes… Well I mean you've done nothing but be nice to me ever since we met… apart from pushing me into the river of course," I answered, a smile threatening to form on my lips.

He let out a chuckle and rose to his paws once more. "Yeah, I am sorry about that," he admitted shyly.

The smile broke through. "That's okay… Why don't we just keep going and try to find this Fern she-cat?" I suggested. He was so close to me… his flank about a mouse-length from my own. That electric shock rippled through me, and I found that my legs were turning to jelly beneath me. He let out a small purr and set off, leaving me standing there staring after him like a love-struck fool… Maybe I was one.

Storm's estimation was right—we reached the large barn quickly. Upon our arrival I noticed that it was a tad smaller than Storm's but, at the same time, carried the same comforting scent of musty hay. Storm took the lead and padded up to the barn entrance without any trepidation. "Fern!" he called.

I padded up behind him warily and gazed inside. Also unlike Storm's, the barn was much darker inside. Everywhere was almost entirely composed of shadows as if it was an endless night inside. The shadows parted for a brief moment, allowing a cat to slip through the blackness and into view. "Hello, Storm," she purred, stretching in a feline-like way as she made her way toward us.

My neck fur rose at the sight of her, but I didn't know why. She was a pretty sight to look at I suppose—a true temptress compared to me. She had short, light brown tabby fur with a white muzzle. Her tail was cut short close to her rump, presumably bitten off by a fox or badger, or something larger than her. She had bright, enthralling green eyes that ran up and down Storm's body without bothering to hide their movements. I felt a growl rise at the back of my throat, but pushed it down. Who was I to allow jealousy to rear its ugly head? I looked like fox dung standing next to her. Whether I was jealous of her good looks, or the fact that she acted like she owned Storm, I did not know.

"Hello, Fern," Storm returned the greeting.

"How have you been?" Fern asked, stepping closer. Her voice was high, and almost singsong, like a bell. She had a lithe body, and was so graceful in her movements, she appeared to be floating.

I bit back another growl. I was tired of these useless pleasantries. Storm flicked the tip of his tail for me to come forward, but this… creature before me was like a repellent. "I've been good, but this is why I'm here."

_This?! Oh, so I'm a "this" now?_ I thought angrily.

Fern looked me up and down, not hiding her disgust at my appearance. You'd think I would be used to it by now, and to some extent I was, but it still stung. I knew I was ugly and that was more than enough without putting salt on the wound. "And you are?" she inquired, her muzzle tilted upward in the air.

_Smug, arrogant little…_ "Cat," I answered, trying to keep my voice civil despite the anger boiling beneath my skin.

She nodded once and then turned to Storm. She bent her head close to his which sent a fire of rage through me. She shouldn't be so close to him! It's completely unnecessary! "Storm… I think she has a couple branches broken in her tree… She _is_ a cat, that's not her name."

"Yes it is," I growled. That pretentious, snobby, piece of fox-dung was absolutely clueless. I even bet that she knew I could hear her. "My mother named me Cat, I'm not some mental case!"

Storm rested his tail tip on my shoulder. At his touch, waves of cool, refreshing water was poured over the fire, calming me. "Relax, Cat," he soothed, his voice smooth like honey. "Fern just hasn't met many forest cats is all."

_I don't see what me living in a spirit-danged forest has to forest has to do with anything!_ "I thought you said that she would tell us about the Clans."

Fern's face changed for a brief moment; no longer did she wear that confident, smug façade, but instead she looked… almost frightened. "Why are you looking for the Clans?" she demanded, glaring at me like I had just tried to kill her.

"My father joined one about two leaf-bares ago. I'm looking for him," I told her simply. Why should she even care why I was looking for them? It's none of her business anyway!

Fern's breath hitched for a brief moment. "Do you know his name?"

Storm was watching me curiously, but I tried not to pay attention to him. "My mother told me his name was Ice."

She looked at her paws and, and to her left. I followed her gaze and saw the tops of trees in the distance. "I knew him," she admitted. "I'll tell you more about him… but I think we should go inside first."

The last thing I wanted to do was go inside her barn, but it was too tempting. Well, I guess you know what they say about curiosity. Still, I wanted to learn more. Fern disappeared into the shadows, leaving Storm alone outside. We exchanged a glance, but I shook my head. "Storm, you don't have to come with me," I told him. He had done so much for me already, so why should he continue with me on this journey?

Storm shook his head determinedly. "Yes, I do."

"No, you don't!" I insisted, my lips curling back in a snarl. Why was he doing this to me? Why was he making it difficult? Truthfully, I didn't want him to leave… but I didn't want to make him feel like he was obligated to come with me on this crazy quest of mine. "If you want to leave, you can go."

He let out a sigh and turned to face me square-on. "Cat," he meowed, forcing me to meet his gaze. "I'm not leaving you. We've come this far together, and… heck, we're gonna finish it together. Back there—" he jerked his head in the direction of his barn "—I don't have a real life… Here… with you… I feel alive… I feel like I have a purpose. I want to stay with you, Cat. You're the best friend I've ever had."

I looked down at the dried up ground beneath us. "Storm…" I whispered. His words shot straight through me and embedded themselves in my heart. No one has ever told me that they wanted to be with me before… I had no idea how to react to this. "I can't give you the life you might want… I'm not pretty… I'm not special…"

"You are special," Storm murmured slipping his tail under my chin and raising my face so I was looking at him again. "And… the only life I want right now is a life with you…"

I could only shake my head. "It doesn't make sense, Storm."

"What doesn't make sense? What else do you need me to say?" he inquired.

"It doesn't make sense for you to feel this way about me… You've been really lonely… and I'm your first companion in who knows how long… Just… wait a while before you start making commitments, okay? Who knows, maybe when we get to the Clan and we meet other cats, you might find ones that are better than me..." I said. I couldn't deal with it if Storm really agreed to all of this, and then blew me off for someone prettier…

He sighed but nodded. "If that's what it takes for you to believe me," he murmured. "Come on. Fern is probably waiting for us."

* * *

A/N: Don't worry, this isn't a Bella "It doesn't make sense for you to love me" Twilight moment even though the words are similar. Cat is no Mary-Sue, rest-assured. She is really quite ugly, and doesn't understand that Storm sees past that part of her.

Did you like this chapter? Leave a review and let me know! If you've liked what you've seen here, and you wanna see more, click on my username to say more!


	11. Chapter 10

_The Seeker - Chapter 10_

Fern tells her story, and gives directions. :)

I don't own Warriors.

* * *

**Chapter Ten**

Fern took us into barn, and once we were inside, my eyes had to adjust to the shadows. From the corner of my eye, I could see Storm's unmistakable blue eyes shining beside me, but couldn't see much else. I had to rely on my other senses to navigate through the narrow passages between the hay bales. At one point, the path between the bales became so narrow that Storm and I had to walk single-file. My whiskers brushed against the rough sides of the bales as I plodded along after Fern. I could smell and hear her in front of me, so I knew I was following here. Behind me, I could hear Storm's breathing and could feel his hot breath hit my back in waves. The electric shock ran through me every time. How could this tom do this to me?

Shaking my head I sped up until I could make out the faint, pale shape of Fern's tailless rump. Still, I could feel Storm's breath on me. I bit back a growl. Despite what was said outside of the barn, I refused to believe him. Whatever passion I had for him just fueled my irritation. I was the ugly Cat. I was unlovable. Storm was lonely, and not to mention a mental case, so there was no way on earth that he could possibly have feelings for me.

It seemed like we had been walking for an eternity when light finally appeared in the distance. It had this eerie feeling about it as if we were all walking along the dark hallway and into the light, and ultimately death. My instincts told me to turn around and run for the hills, but my curiosity got the better of me. I continued forward until we reached a lit area.

The path that we had been following came to a dead end a few tail-lengths in front of Fern, but the tailless she cat turned and leapt onto one of the hay bales. I followed her path awkwardly, sinking my claws into the prickly substance. With a nudge from Storm, I was able to pull myself on top of the bale. Storm jumped up beside me much more gracefully.

Before us, Fern had flopped down on the top of the bale was running her tongue along her foreleg. I lashed my tail in irritation and flexed my claws. "You said that you would tell me about my father," I reminded.

Fern nodded and let out a sigh. "I was born in a Clan called RiverClan. They lived, well obviously, by a river and were well-known to be swimmers. Instead of eating mice and birds, they preyed on fish and water voles… I wasn't a true RiverClan cat. I was normal to an extent—I feared water and avoided it at all costs so they called me a 'dry-paw'… Shortly after I became an apprentice, my mother came into the den one night and told me that we had to leave. I didn't know what she meant, but I went with her nonetheless. She was my mother so why should I question her?

"My mother was a jealous she-cat; she had fallen in love with a tom named Icefur… He wasn't my father, since she joined the Clan when she was pregnant with my brother and me, but after she arrived, she fell in love with him. After a while, though, he chose another she-cat to become his mate. Her name was Dovefeather, but other than that I don't remember much about her. Once we were far away from the Clan, my mother told us that she had done something very wrong and taken Dovefeather's life, and that was why we had to leave.

"RiverClan sent patrol after patrol to try to find us but we always evaded them… My mother abandoned us when we were about sixteen moons and we had to fend for ourselves. I came here and I've lived here ever since… I don't know too much else about Icefur though… He might not even be your father," Fern finished.

So far, I wasn't liking my father. He seemed to be one of those toms that got as many she-cats as he could, and then wouldn't take responsibility for his actions. My pelt prickled at the thought of it all. My mother, Fern's mother, and then another Clan she-cat! I shook my head slightly, still trying to process what Fern had told me.

_What were you expecting?_ my subconscious sneered. _He left Misty! He left_ you. _Did you think that once you found him, he would rush up to you and tell you how much he loves you and how much he's missed you?_

"Cat?" Storm's voice sounded from my side. "Are you okay?"

I turned to face him and saw his concerned face. I gulped once before nodded. "Fine. Why do you ask?"

"You zoned out for a while is all," he replied, watching me warily.

"I was just thinking."

"Well that's all I can tell you," Fern meowed with and edge to her voice. Her tone betrayed her annoyance. She wanted us out of her barn, and I was more than eager to leave.

"Well… thank you," I muttered. "Can you give us some directions to this RiverClan?"

Fern let out an irritated sigh. "Keep going east until you reach the forest. When you reach the forest, you should find a large river. Follow the river upward until you reach the falls. Once you reach the falls, you should come across a strange scent marker. That's where their territory begins. Once there, wait for a patrol of cats to come along and ask them to take you to the camp," Fern meowed as if it was common knowledge.

"Thank you, Fern," Storm mewed, rising to his paws. "It was really a pleasure to see you again, but we should probably be going." At his words, Fern got a shocked look on her face that made me feel smug. Storm was coming with me and Fern couldn't believe it. _Take that you piece of fox dung!_

"You're going with her?" Fern inquired, rising to her paws.

"Yes," Storm answered, a hard look flashing across his face. "Cat's my friend and I promised that I'd help her."

_Friend._ That word stung more than the disgusted look Fern gave me when I met her. I reminded myself of my exchange with Storm outside the barn and relaxed a little… Even though I remembered every word he said to me clearly, that pain in my chest lingered. It felt like a huge rock had been pressed on my chest making it difficult for me to breathe. How was it that one tom could do this to me?

_You love him,_ a small part of me suggested. I shook my head once more. _No._

Storm led the way back through the maze of darkness to the barn entrance. I followed him closely, inhaling his sweet scent and scolding myself for doing so. _You've got it bad, Cat,_ I thought to myself somewhat amused at myself. _But Storm doesn't love you. Once we get to the Clan and he sees all those beautiful she__-cats, he'll forget about you,_ my pessimistic side reminded. I knew it was true. No one could love me, so why should I get my hopes up?

* * *

A/N: Did you like this chapter? Leave a review and let me know! If you've liked what you've seen here, and you wanna see more, click on my username to say more!


	12. Chapter 11

_The Seeker - Chapter 11_

Not much happens. Just the usual StormXCat adorableness. :)

I don't own Warriors.

* * *

**Chapter Eleven**

We headed off in the direction of the forest with Storm in the lead. He claimed to have been this far east before, and who was I to doubt him? Just as the sun began to set, we stopped our travels and took shelter underneath an elderberry bush. "It's going to rain," Storm meowed suddenly, his head raised to the clear sky above us.

I arched an eyebrow at him. "Um, are you eating some strange berries I don't know about?" I teased gently, biting into the back of a mouse I'd just caught. "The sky is clear."

"Can't you smell it?" he asked, not taking his eyes away from the colorful sunset sky.

I let out a hollow laugh. "You can smell rain? Okay, now I'm concerned on a number of levels."

Storm shot me a glare before rising to his paws. "Come on, you've never smelled rain before?"

"It's that like… impossible because it's water and if you inhale water you drown?" I asked, shooting him a smirk.

He rolled his eyes and shook his head. "No, before it rains, the atmosphere changes… You can… in a way detect it, you know?"

"No, I don't."

"Then shut up, please," he hissed in annoyance. "But I can smell it… I know when it's coming."

"Yeah, okay," I chuckled, retreating further under the bush. "If you say so Storm."

His hackles rose. "You're not going to be laughing when its pouring down rain and I shove you out of the nest!" he warned, a malicious glint in his eye. He wasn't joking.

"You wouldn't!" I tried to say with confidence, but failed. I knew he would. He shoved me into the river for spirit's sake!

Storm let his fur lie flat and curled his tail around his paws. "I would."

I proceeded to call him every bad name I could think of before snuggling further into my nest and closing my eyes. I heard the gentle footfalls as Storm too entered our makeshift den and took his place beside me. I felt guilt stab my heart for all the bad names I'd called him and let out a sigh. "I didn't mean it," I whispered, half hoping that the wouldn't hear me.

For a long moment he didn't respond and I thought I was safe. Just as I was about to close my eyes once more, he answered me. "I know."

* * *

The next morning, I woke up and it was raining. Of course. Storm was sitting up in our nest and gazing out at the droplets hitting the moist ground violently. I took one glace at my matted pelt and let out a sigh. Traveling in this would be absolutely horrible. Of course, with my mats I wouldn't feel it for about an hour or so, but I would be soaked by the end of the day and then it would take moons for me to be completely dry.

"Told you so," Storm purred, satisfaction showing in his smug smile.

"Whatever," I grumbled, sitting up. I rasped my tongue over my forepaw since I had nothing else to do.

"If you don't want to head out, we could groom each other," Storm offered shyly. There was a new emotion in his blue gaze that I couldn't identify, but it scared the fox-dung out of me. It was soft and gentle and if I didn't know any better… it was the four letter l-word… No. It couldn't be. I refused to believe so.

I let out another hollow laugh. "If you want to work on these mats, you're welcome to it, but we won't make any progress."

As a matter of fact, we did make some progress! We waited for the rain to stop, and when it never did, we spent the entire day in our temporary den grooming each other. Storm and I worked on my pelt for hours and it even began to look better! Some of the mats came loose and I could feel my fur soften. After a while, though, I started to work on Storm's smooth pelt, running my tongue along his back and forepaws. He tasted just wonderful as he smelled…

We sat in the den next to each other, but facing different ways, grooming. When my jaw began to ache, I just reached my head on Storm's muscular back, enjoying the rise and fall of his flanks as he breathed. I felt Storm's head rest against my back as well and we just sat there, cherishing one another's company.

"I love you, Cat," he whispered after a moment.

I wanted to deny it. I wanted to scream at him that he was insane. Once we got to the Clans he would leave me for a prettier she-cat… I couldn't get my hopes up. I shouldn't get my hopes up, but I did. "I… I think I love you too… I just… I don't know just yet… I want to be sure before I say it."

Storm purred and pulled away from my back. He shifted so he faced me and leaned in close. My breath hitched as he pressed his muzzle to mine lightly. "I'm okay with that," he breathed, pulling away.

I smiled at him like a mouse-brain, just plain happy. Deep down, I knew that I did love him, but I didn't know if he felt the same… I was so convinced that he was this mental case… maybe it was better if he was…

The rain continued on for the rest of the day and that evening, we didn't sleep in two separate nests, but the same one, our bodies pressed up against each other. His breath was warm and hot on my skin, and I was shivering, but not from the cold. I went to sleep that night, every fiber in my body aware of his close proximity.

* * *

A/N: Did you like this chapter? Leave a review and let me know! If you've liked what you've seen here and you wanna see more, click on my username to see more!


	13. Chapter 12

_The Seeker - Chapter 12_

Things go a tad awry in this one.

I don't own Warriors.

* * *

**Chapter Twelve**

The next morning, Storm woke me up early so we could get a head start. The rain had ceased, but the earth beneath our paws was still damp. Dew clung to each blade of grass and then soaked our pelts as we plunged through it. The horizon began to take the shapes of treetops the farther we walked.

Sunhigh came too fast and the heat of midday began beating down on us. By this time, the dew on the grass had dried up and my mouth was bone-dry. "Storm… we should find some kind of water," I breathed, exhausted.

Storm nodded, halting and looking around slowly, his eyes scanning the surrounding areas, searching for water. His ears strained forward as he struggled to hear the faintest drip or trickle. He had to be as parched as I was. "You know, Cat, I think that there is a Twolegplace nearby," he meowed suddenly. "I've been here before… in fact I think my mother took me here when I was younger. I remember this huge field and I think that if we go north, we could south, we'll find the Twolegplace."

South was not the direction of the forest. "Yeah, but there was that river in the forest," I pointed out, sitting back on my haunches and allowing my ears to droop.

"It could take another day to get there, we need water soon," Storm answered, turning to face me, his blue eyes hopeful. "If I'm right, the Twolegplace should be near here."

"And if you're wrong, we're going to die of dehydration," I muttered, pulling myself to my paws even though my body groaned with protest.

Storm rolled his eyes. "Come on, Cat. Don't you trust me?" he asked, moving closer until our faces were a mouse-length apart.

My breath hitched, and I knew he heard it. A devious smirk flashed across his lips once, but it only irritated me. I lashed my tail and took a step back. I was not about to let him trick me into this. "I have doubts," I replied.

He rolled his eyes once more and then pouted a little, making his eyes really big. "Pwease, Cat?"

I forced a laugh. "You're ridiculous," I grumbled, but sighed. "Fine, but only because I don't want to die of default."

He laughed and licked my cheek. "You're the ridiculous one," he purred before turning away in the direction of the Twolegplace. I stared after him, my eyes wide. Great spirits, did this tom really have no idea what he does to me?

I padded after him, and—just as Storm said—we reached the Twolegplace quickly, faster than I thought we would. Large structures that looked like smaller, fancier versions of barns were everywhere. Sometimes, there would be tall, erect branches circling the back of the barns. Storm explained to me that those were called fences and were supposed to keep out creatures like us, but were pointless since we could easily jump over them.

"Okay, so where do we find water?" I inquired, looking around. Even though we were on the edge of this Twolegplace and moving along the back of these Twoleg dens, there were too many strange sights, sounds, and scents.

"Come on," Storm meowed, slipping around the side of one of the Twoleg dens into an large passageway that looked big enough for one of those Twoleg monsters to fit in. Storm kept padding along, but I spotted a small puddle of water.

I bent down and sniffed at it daintily. It didn't smell good at all and, when I looked into it, I didn't see my reflection, but rather a rainbow-colored film on the top. _Well, water is water,_ I thought before lapping up a small bit. It tasted awful.

"Cat no!" Storm hissed. The next thing I knew, he barreled into me, knowing me to the hard floor of the alley.

"What are you doing?" I asked, coughing on the horrible substance.

"What are _you_ doing?!" he demanded, livid. "That's water mixed with oil! Oil will kill you, Cat!" he hissed. I'd never seen so much rage in his eyes before, but it only fueled my own.

"If you hadn't come along, maybe this wouldn't have happened! I would have gone to the forest and I would have drank from the river not from some polluted puddle! You also could have given me a heads up!" I hissed.

He growled and flexed his claws hotly. "You should have known not to drink something that didn't smell right!"

"Well I'm sorry that I wasn't born as a pathetic kittypet like you! I wish I never would have met you! My life would be so much easier!" I yowled, my hackles rising and my fur bristling.

Storm's face suddenly changed. Pain flashed in his eyes once as he took a step back. "Fine… if you really feel that way, I won't help you anymore!" he tried to hiss, but his voice betrayed his pain.

I stared at him as he turned away from me, my heart aching. "Storm, wait!" I called, but he didn't listen. He bounded out of the alley and out of sight. "Storm…" I whispered, feeling the tears collect in my eyes. "Storm… I'm sorry…"

Turning away, I ran as fast as I could back toward the field. The fire of thirst in my throat and pang of hunger in my belly were both now blocked out by the hole that consumed my heart. It didn't take my long to reach the field, and once I did, I began looking for stinging nettle. My mother always told me that if I were ever to drink or eat something that wasn't quite right, I should eat the spiny green seeds and it would absorb the poison.

Among all of the weeds and plants that made up the field, I was able to find some stinging nettle and swallowed it despite its bitter taste. With my oil problem taken care of, I just sat there and allowed the sun to beat down on me, but its rays did little to warm me. Storm was gone… I had chased him off. I let out a caterwaul of frustration and tore my claws through the ground. Why did I have to ruin every good thing I had in my life?!

It took a while, but once I'd calmed down and was able to get a clear head, I knew what I had to do. Taking a deep breath, I headed back toward the Twolegplace, determined to find Storm and bring him back.

* * *

A/N: Did you like this chapter? Leave a review and let me know! If you've liked what you've seen here and you wanna see more, click on my username to see more!


	14. Chapter 13

_The Seeker - Chapter 13_

Things get better. :)

I don't own Warriors.

* * *

Chapter Thirteen

It was easy to find my way back to the Twolegplace, but not so easy to find Storm. I retraced my scent back to the alley, but Storm was long gone. Cursing myself and my stupidity, I struggled to follow his fading scent through the labyrinth of alleys that composed the city. Now, I'm not the best tracker in the universe, in fact, I'm quite terrible at it. Many times, I found myself doubling back over my own scent.

After about three sun-shifts of this, I let out a wail. "This is hopeless!" I hissed trying to dig my claws into the concrete, but only hurting myself. I was about ready to give up and go back to the field when I heard hissing coming from the alley next to mine.

Pelting forward, I ran out onto the sidewalk only to almost get trampled by a hoard of Twolegs walking down it. Hissing, I weaved through their legs trying desperately not to get kicked. The first chance I got, I dove into the alley and saw a group of skinny alley cats surrounding a familiar gray shape. _Storm!_

"Give us that mouse you forest fool!" a brown tom spat. To my surprise, these cats seemed uglier than me. The brown tom had a gray muzzle and paws with bare patches of skin peeking through his thin pelt. A mottled gray tom stood next to him with yellow eyes and long, matted fur. The only remotely good-looking one was a black she-cat with icy blue eyes that was edging closer and closer to my Storm.

"Leave him alone!" I snarled, charging forward without thinking.

"Cat?!" I heard Storm's shocked voice, but ignored him.

The brown tom laughed. "This is your great defender, forest fool? A she-cat?" he sneered, circling me. "I bet she can't even fight!"

Spinning around, I slashed my claws across his muzzle without hesitation. He stumbled backward letting out a yowl of surprise. Blood oozed from the wound and dripped onto the ground. "Blue, Feather, get her!" the tom commanded.

Simultaneously, the black she-cat and the gray tom lunged for me. Thinking fast, I slid under the gray tom and over to Storm. I stood beside him, my fur puffed out, claws unsheathed and lips curled back in a snarl. "Stay away from us!"

The she-cat let out a yowl and came at me head-on. With nowhere to move, I allowed her to hit me. Her claws dug into my shoulder blades, drawing blood. Her revolting scent intoxicated me, making it difficult to breathe and think. I sank my teeth into her left ear and tore. The feeling of flesh ripping under my ministrations and the taste of this she-cat's blood in my mouth brought me a strange kind of please. I spat the piece of her ear I had ripped off onto the ground and bared my teeth.

For a moment, I thought the she-cat would come again, but then ran to stand by the two toms. "What's the matter, Brownie?" I asked, feeling my confidence and cockiness grow. "Afraid of little old me?"

The three of them exchanged a glance before Brownie's lips curled back in a snarl. "We'll get you for this, she-cat!" he vowed before scrambling out of the alley with his cronies close behind him.

Triumphantly, I puffed out my chest and turned to face Storm who was watching me with an awed expression. "That was amazing, Cat!" he purred.

I looked at my paws sheepishly. "Thanks," I murmured, trying not to purr, but failing.

Storm nudged the mouse toward me. "You deserve this," he said.

Sighing, I shook my head. "No I don't. I was so mean to you back there… I didn't mean to be, Storm… I hope you can forgive me for what I said; I didn't mean it, really!"

"I know," Storm meowed, stepping closer until our muzzles brushed. I held mine there, loving his delicious scent. "I love you, Cat… and that's why it hurt."

Taking a deep breath I moved closer still so our chests brushed and rested my head on his muscular shoulder. "I love you too, Storm. I've been trying so hard to deny it… so hard to escape it, but… but I can't deny it any longer. I love you."

A loud purr rumbled from Storm's chest. "You don't know how happy that makes me feel, Cat."

Smiling, I just snuggled deeper into his luxurious fur. "Me too."

* * *

Storm and I made it to the edge of the forest my nightfall and found a large tree with upturned roots. Underneath the base of the trunk was a small den that was just large enough for the two of us. Storm squeezed in first, and I followed. We were practically on top of each other inside, but we were able to lie down beside each other, our bodies pressed up against each other.

"I love you, Cat," Storm murmured for the last time that day. Ever since the incident in the alley, he made sure he told me that once a sun-shift.

Purring, I snuggled closer to him, until we were entwined every way physically possible. "I love you too, Storm," I murmured sleepily. It felt right. I don't know how else to explain it that it just being… right. Soon, his reassuring, comforting scent and the warmth of his body lulled me into a deep sleep.

* * *

A/N: Did you like this chapter? Leave a review and let me know! If you've liked what you've seen here and you wanna see more, click on my username to see more!


	15. Chapter 14

_The Seeker - Chapter 14_

We meet another main character! And he nearly kills someone. Fun.

I don't own Warriors.

* * *

**Chapter Fourteen**

The sounds of birds chirping woke me from my peaceful slumber the following morning. Opening my eyes that were still weary with sleep, I realized that I was alone in the den. For a moment, fear gripped my heart; I thought that Storm might have left me after what occurred the previous night. As soon as the thought popped into my head, my rational side scolded me thoroughly. _Storm loves you! Why must you be so insecure about yourself all the time?!_ she demanded without rest. Truthfully, it was because I was just so used to being put down my inner self and my mother that it became a habit.

I pulled myself out of our makeshift den and onto the forest floor. Sunlight peeked furtively through the leaves above, warming my thick mass of fur. Stifling a purr, I stretched briefly before scenting the air. I caught a faint trace of Storm's scent and began to follow the trail. As I plodded along, I observed that it led deeper into the forest. With my eyes narrowed slightly, I began to move faster along the trail.

As Storm's scent intensified the farther along I got, so did my suspicions. Why would he wander so far away from the den even if he had been hunting? Continuing along the path that Storm had took, a familiar sound suddenly hit my ears. My spirits brightened at the sound. I knew that sound—it was the sound of rushing water.

_The river!_

Bounder forward, pushing my way through the undergrowth, I finally laid eyes on the river. Before me lay a stretch of rapids and I could only watch as the water mercilessly pummeled the rocks trapped in its path. This would make our journey so much easier now that we had located the river—all we had to do was follow it upstream until we reached the falls and then we should easily find RiverClan territory.

I was just about to turn around to find Storm when I was blindsided by some unseen object. I hissed as I hit the ground with a thud, but a moment later, I felt hot breath blow against my ear and a sickening voice murmur: "What are you doing in my territory?"

Curling my lips back into the most terrifying snarl I could muster, I spun around and sliced my claws across my assailant's face. My attacked, who I could now identify as a gray tomcat, hissed in pain as blood oozed from the wound on his muzzle. "You little piece of fox-dung!" he spat with clear distaste. "How dare you come into my territory and even entertain the notion that you can beat me in a fight?"

I bared my fangs at the arrogant mouse-brain and flexed my claws that were already dripping with the fool's blood. "Shut up and fight if you're so great," I sneered before launching myself at him.

The tom yowled in surprise and fell to the ground beneath me. With a sort of grim satisfaction, I sank my claws deep into his shoulder blade. "You actually think that this is your territory? Your probably just showing off! You couldn't defend your territory from a blind kit! I've seen kittypets fight better than you!" I mocked, my confidence growing.

He let out a snarl of rage at that and tried to rake his hind claws across my belly, but I was wise to that move. I leapt back at the last moment, but that only gave him a chance to scramble to his paws.

Stumbling and trying to regain my footing, I felt sharp teeth sink into my scruff. Letting out a hiss of rage more than pain, I tried to catch him with one of my claws but couldn't. He shoot me like I was no more than a newborn kit. My head began to spin and I grew disoriented. I had a difficult time telling which was up, and which way down.

"Cat!" I heard a familiar voice yowl. In my confused state, I could barely register that Storm had called for me. Warm liquid trickled down the side of my head and the distinct scent of metal and rust hit my nostrils making my stomach lurch. The weight on my scruff was suddenly lifted and I fell to the ground.

I lay there, my stomach twisted into a knot from the scent of my own blood, and my brain feeling as if it were rattling around in my skull. I could barely formulate a train of thought as I watched as sets of gray paws hit and left the ground as two cats fought. Their hisses and growls filled the air, but I paid little attention to them.

Incoherently, I could tell that someone was calling my name, but I couldn't tell who. However, it didn't matter. I was slipping away and soon, the cat's wails soon died away as I too slipped into darkness.

* * *

A/N: Did you like this chapter? Leave a review and let me know! If you've liked what you've seen here and you wanna see more, click on my username to see more!


	16. Chapter 15

_The Seeker - Chapter 15_

Cat meets the new charrie.

I don't own Warriors.

* * *

**Chapter Fifteen**

I awoke in a dark place that smelled of blood and dirt. My heart nearly jumped into my throat as I looked around frantically, searching for a trace of light or a way out. Despite my best efforts, I couldn't find the space to move. _Oh no! I'm trapped!_ I thought frantically. _They thought I was dead, so they've buried me!_

Just as I thought that I would never get out, my paw hit something soft that felt similar to lichen. The scent of the mossy substance hit my nostrils and gave me hope. With a massive push, I was able to get myself halfway out of what I then realized was a den. The sudden light hurt my eyes and made my head ache, but Storm's mew drove the pain away.

"Cat! Thank the spirits!" he purred, pressing his muzzle to mine tenderly. "I returned to our den shortly after you left. When I saw you were gone, I panicked! You thought the worst."

I couldn't suppress the purr that rose in my throat at his words. "I was worried when I woke and you weren't there. I thought you left me.

Storm's face hardened slightly, and he shook his head. "I had gone hunting. I wanted to surprise you," he whispered, licking the space between my ears lovingly. "I would never, ever leave you, Cat."

I opened my mouth to say more when the light gray tom padded up to us. Even though I was halfway in and halfway out of the den, it didn't stop me my fur from bristling with rage. "What are you doing here, you spineless—"

"Cat this is Soda," Storm meowed, cutting me off before I could continue to insult him. "You're in his den right now. After you went unconscious, we began to talk and worked it out. He's been having trouble with a band of rogues in the area and thought we were a part of them. He let us shelter here when he realized we weren't."

The back of my neck still ached from the previous day, but I was determined not to let them see my pain. I shot Soda the best glare I could muster. "Thank you for your hospitality," I snapped sarcastically before pulling myself completely from the den with Storm's help. "Storm, we should be on our way."

Storm watched me warily for a moment before sighing. "You're not going to like it, but maybe you should rest a day or two. You need to be strong for the journey."

"I am strong!" I hissed, my voice sounding harsher than I meant for it to. He was just looking after me. "I'm fine, and I think we should leave." I took a step closer and whispered in his ear, "I don't trust him."

"Where are you going?" Soda inquired without warning, watching us with curious eyes.

Biting back a sharp retort, I looked at Storm. Irritation prickled though my pelt as I explained that we were looking for RiverClan. His reply was something that I dreaded he would say.

"I know where they are!" he purred triumphantly. "I can show you."

"We can manage," I replied before Storm could throw his two sense in.

Soda's face fell momentarily before brightening once more. "At least let me take you to the edge of my territory."

Storm and I exchanged a wary glance. I could see now that despite Storm's attempts to be civil, he didn't truly trust this Soda character. "I don't know," Storm admitted finally, stepping closer to me.

Soda gazed at us for a long moment, seeming to sense our distrust. "Well, you two can think about it while I go hunting. You are my guests after all," he meowed before padding off into the forest, leaving Storm and I alone.

"I don't think we should let him come with us," I confessed, looking at Storm. "I don't trust him. Yesterday, he seemed so fierce and now he's acting like he's just some lonely fellow living in the woods by himself… I don't know what to do."

Storm nodded in agreement, looking in the direction Soda had gone. "I know what you mean about the trust thing… but still… having someone who knows the area with us might make the journey easier."

Sighing, I nodded. Storm was right; he was always right. "We can give him a shot, but once we get to the RiverClan border, he is out of the picture. I don't want him to tag along and become a third wheel."

He smirked a little at my remark and rested his tail on my flank gently. "You're right. Three is a crowd," he purred, somewhat playfully. "I hope he realizes that you're my mate, and we're not just traveling partners."

Storm's words caught me off guard. Was that what I was now? Was I really his mate? Well after what happened in our makeshift tree den and the way we act around one another, it made sense. Taking a deep breath, I began to accept it in my head; I was Storm's mate. "I think he probably does," I mewed. "Besides, you shouldn't have to worry about losing me. I'm not exactly a desirable she-cat."

He purred, coming closer. "I think you're beautiful."

"You're demented," I joked lightly, but smiled at him. "But I like you that way."

* * *

A/N: Soda joins them, but you know what they say: "There's no room for a third wheel on a two wheel bicycle."

Did you like this chapter? Leave a review and let me know! If you've liked what you've seen here and you wanna see more, click on my username to see more!


	17. Chapter 16

_The Seeker - Chapter 16_

More things go wrong.

I do not own Warriors.

* * *

**Chapter Sixteen**

So, to my great displeasure, we decided to allow Soda to take us to the edge of his territory. I was more than ready to be rid of him, but Storm was right—it would be beneficial to have him with us. He led us along the river, chatting constantly about various things such as the weather, or the rogues, or the relationship between Storm and I.

"So," Soda mewed casually as we proceeded to pad along the river. Storm and I stood close together, our pelts nearly blushing. The electric shocks were now waves that were trembling under my skin. "Are you two… you know?"

Neither of us to stop, but my pelt began to prickle with annoyance. "Are we what?" I answered, surprised that there was no indignation in my tone.

"Well… you know…" Soda trailed off once more.

Storm lashed his tail impatiently. "No, we don't know. Care to enlighten us?"

I knew exactly what Soda was asking about, but didn't truly care to talk to him about it. Storm's tail gently caressed mine and I knew that he knew it as well. Soda shifted his paws nervously. "Well… are you two… mates or something?"

I saw gratification flash in Storm's eyes. I could scarcely imagine what I looked like. My heart swelled as I longed to scream yes at the top of my lungs but restrained myself. Storm exchanged a glance with me before nodding. "Yes. We are."

If I didn't know better I would have said that Soda's face fell slightly. "Oh," he mewed. "I figured as much. You two are really… close."

Storm nodded and licked my cheek gently. "We are." He looked at Soda and narrowed his eyes slightly at the tomcat before running his tail along my spine making my stomach nearly flip. Did this tom really have no idea what he did to me? "Cat, why don't we hunt? We can spend the night here if you like."

Shooting a glance up at the sky, I could scarcely make out the sun's position through the dense tree branches. It wasn't at its highest point and was beginning its descent in the west. "Sounds reasonable," I agreed. "By the time we hunt and find a good place to spend the night, it'll be dusk."

Soda nodded. "I can hunt with you," he offered good-naturedly.

"No," Storm replied briskly. "Cat and I will be fine by ourselves. You can look for shelter though if you want to help out." Without another word to the strange tom, he herded me away and off into the woods.

Storm's short, cynical attitude toward Soda confused and alarmed me. "Storm what—"

He cut me off in mid-sentence by pressing his tail to my lips. "Not here," he whispered in my ear before leading the way deeper into the trees.

His words didn't leave me any better off than I had been. What was going on? Did he see something strange or dangerous in Soda's behavior? Storm took me a good distance away from where we had left Storm before stopping near and wild grape tree. "I don't trust him at all," he finally growled, flexing his claws.

My mate's anger surprised me. "Why don't you? I haven't noticed anything particularly harmful about him."

Storm glared at the ground, his lips curling back in a snarl. "You mean you haven't noticed the way he's been looking at you?" he questioned. He sounded more furious than his body language was letting on. "He gazes at you like you're a freshly killed rabbit, Cat!"

I rolled my eyes. "Are you upset because you think he has a thing for me? Storm, in case you haven't noticed I'm uglier than the hind end of a dog! I'm something only a mother could love, and heck my mother didn't even love me that much!"

He shot me a glare. "You're beautiful, you just don't understand it."

Shaking my head I turned away from him. "You're just jacked up in the head. It's the only way someone could love me, or think I'm beautiful."

Storm sighed. "That's your stupid low self-esteem talking, Cat. You're more desirable than you think."

I snorted at his words. "Desirable? Storm, I don't add up to desirable in anyone's mind but yours! You're just paranoid."

"You're just unaware of your beauty."

Hissing, I whipped around to face him. "_Look at me, Storm!_" I yowled at the top of my lungs. "I am not pretty! I am ugly! Ug-ly!"

He didn't reply, just shook his head sadly before turning his back on me. "Let's hunt, shall we?"

Without waiting for my answer, he padded away into the forest. I stood there for moment, gazing after him before padding off in the opposite direction. I couldn't suppress the ache that stung my heart. Turning around, I headed off in the opposite direction, my tail dragging listlessly across the forest floor. I knew Storm was only upset with me because I refused to believe that I was beautiful, and I wasn't. I knew that, and I knew that Storm did too, but why wouldn't he accept it?

As I walked along, my ears pricked and mouth open to scent prey, I pushed these thoughts to the back of my mind. I needed to focus on the hunt so I wouldn't go to sleep on an empty stomach. The sun was falling fast in the western skies, and I knew I didn't have much time. The tall deciduous trees cast long shadows throughout the forest creating an ominous mood that made my blood chill.

A squirrel scurried out onto the small game trail I padded along, practically begging to be killed. Oblivious to me, it began to nibble on a hickory nut, its head looking in the opposite direction of the danger it was in. I knew I stood downwind, so I crouched low to the ground, replying on my dark pelt to help me blend into the shadows. I stalked forward painstakingly, my tail sticking out behind me to help me steady my steps.

Just as I was about to spring, a painful caterwaul sounded somewhere off to my right. I immediately rose from my crouch, but the squirrel was already up a tree at the sound of cats in the area. I strained my ears desperate to hear more, and could scarcely make out the sounds of a battle going on. One thought came into my mind as I pelted off in the direction of the yowls: _Storm!_ Blood roared in my ears and adrenaline pumped through my veins, giving my strength.

I stumbled out onto a dirt path that stank of Twolegs to see Soda grappling with a large black tom with a white patch over his right eye. With a surprising show of strength, Soda shoved the black tom away from him, hissing. "I told you, Steel! I told you that if you ever came back that I would make sure you wouldn't come back again."

The black tom, who I assumed was Steel, smirked despite the fact that blood was dripping from a clip in his right ear. He opened his jaws to say more before noticing me. He gazed at me with wide, surprised eyes. "I didn't realize you had a she-cat with you, Soda. Where are my manners?" he purred in a voice that made my stomach twist.

My blood ran cold as I watched him stalk toward me. For a moment, my brain failed me, and I just stood there, rooted to the ground watching him. "Cat, run!" Soda yowled, but he did little to defend me. I ignored him and stood my ground, unsheathing my claws. Flattening my ears against my head, I bared my fangs at him.

"Back off mange-pelt!" I hissed, my fur bristling.

Steel just laughed at my display. "You don't scare me! You're no more frightening than a kittypet!" he taunted, wearing that hideous smirk.

His words infuriated me beyond belief. "Kittypet?!" I yowled at the top of my lungs. No other insult anyone could ever call me was worse than that. I lunged at him and was able to knock him off balance. I dug my claws into his shoulder blade, and felt a grim satisfaction as a warm, crimson liquid oozed between my pads.

Just as I was about to sink my fangs into his left ear, more cats bounded forward through the undergrowth. I didn't know how many there were, but they certainly outnumbered Soda and I. I yowled in surprise as teeth grasped my scruff and pulled me away from Steel's body. I turned around to claw at my assaulter, but was greeted by claws slicing across my face. My vision turned red from my own blood, and I sneezed out the red substance that had trickled into my nose.

"Cat!" a familiar voice yowled. It took me a few moments to process who the voice belonged to. _Storm!_ "Leave her alone you sons of badgers!" my mate yowled, pushing through the cats, only to be restrained by a massive ginger tabby.

Steel said something I couldn't hear very well before letting out a yowl of fear. The cats before me began to clear out. The stench of Twolegs got stronger, but I couldn't see what was going on from the redness in my eyes. I blinked furiously, but it wouldn't go away. I heard my lovely Storm yowl my name before the Twoleg scent was on top of me. Twoleg paws closed in around my middle, and I struggled weakly, feeling lightheaded. The Twoleg said something in that strange language of theirs.

I heard Storm yowling my name, but the Twolegs began walking, taking me with them. They were taking me away from Storm! I struggled, but it was a weak attempt. Before I knew it, I was slipping into unconsciousness, wishing that Storm wouldn't forget me.

* * *

A/N: Did you like this chapter? Leave a review and let me know! If you've liked what you've seen here and you wanna see more, click on my username to see more!


	18. Chapter 17

_The Seeker - Chapter 17_

Cat gets experience with Twolegs and their strange, terrifying facilities.

I don't own Warriors.

* * *

**Chapter Seventeen**

I awoke someplace loud and cold. The ground I lay on chilled me to the bone, and I couldn't see. There was a strange kind of wrap that felt similar to cotton over my eyes. Even though it was dark, my other senses did not fail me; I could hear the voices of other cats around me. Their yowls and protests rang in my ears as they were assaulted by some unseen force. One very near to me cried out in pain, and the voices of Twolegs proceeded it quickly in a gentle tone as if they were trying to console it.

Where in the name of the spirits was I?

A loud, creaking sound broke my train of thought. I was positive that the other cats could smell my fear scent. The next moment, a Twoleg's paws enclosed around my middle, and I heard it speak in their strange tongue. I immediately began clawing at the air and hissing, trying to get away. I couldn't see this adversary, and it frightened me. How could I fight something I couldn't see? Where was I? Where was Storm? Would I ever see him again? Or would I die at the hands of these Twolegs? Or worse, would I become a kittypet, something I so thoroughly despised?

The Twoleg set me down on something cold, hard and quite slippery. I tried to stand, but my pads couldn't find traction on the smooth, unnatural surface. The voices of more cats sounded around me; many crying out of help, or shouting the names of those they knew. Did they know their fate? Could they, unlike myself, see this alien world we were entrapped in? Or were they just as blind and terrified as me?

So many questions were floating around in my brain as I struggled against the Twoleg's strength in vain. Its paws pinned me to the surface where I couldn't move. Without warning, something sharp—like a thorn—pierced the skin of my right foreleg, making my cry out in pain. What were they doing to me? Was I really meant to die like this? My quest wasn't over yet—it couldn't be! I hadn't even found my father!

Without warning, the cloth around my eyes was removed, and I saw my new surroundings for the first time. It was overwhelming, and the brightness made my head hurt. As my eyes adjusted, I realized that I was on a silver table with two Twolegs on either side of me. One was holding me down, while the other was using a strange stick to scratch something on a thin substance I couldn't identify. However, what I saw to my left horrified me.

Hundreds of cages stacked on top of each other composed the wall. Each was filled with one, or sometimes two cats. Some were clawing at the doors, desperate to escape, while others were huddled in the corners, petrified. Very few seemed at home in this torture chamber.

The Twoleg that had been pinning me loosened its grip, allowing me to sit up. My immediate response was to bolt for the nearest exit. The Twoleg shouted a warning as I slid off the table and pelted toward the door. Yowls of encouragement sounded from the surrounding cages, giving me confidence. _I will find Storm, and everything will be alright._

The door was tail-lengths away when a Twoleg grabbed me. I struggled with all my might, hissing ad growling. However, my struggles were in vain; the Twoleg put me back into my cage and closed the door. The Twoleg, a male, turned to a female wearing smooth, white fur and began speaking to her. I didn't know what they were saying, but I doubted it was good for me.

"That was a brave move," a voice sounded from the cage next to mine. I peered between the bars of the door and could barely make out a white tom with green eyes. "A lot of have attempted it, but none has ever made it."

"I will," I vowed determinedly. I gazed at the white tom, narrowing my eyes slightly. "Don't think I won't."

"I like your fire," the tom admitted, blinking once. "For your sake, I hope you do. Most wild cats like yourself don't last long here. Many go into the Back Room and don't come out."

An icy fear shot up my spine. "The Back Room? Where is that?" I inquired, and then felt like clawing my own tongue out in embarrassment. _In the back obviously, you mouse-brain!_

The white tom indicated the place he spoke of with a nod of his head. The room was in the very back of the facility. It was shut off from the rest of the area by a large, wooden door that had a strange whitish, square-shaped panel in the middle. On the panel was something written in the Twoleg language in something red—for all I knew, it could have been blood in this horrible place. "I thank the spirits that I don't have to go in there," the tom meowed.

"How did you end up in this place?" I queried gently. I had no idea who he was, or where he came from, and had no clue how he would react to this question.

The tom looked down almost sadly. "I lived in alleys of a Twoleg city. It was a rough life, and I got into fights over useless things often. That particular day, I was fighting with another cat over a rat that I had killed, and I ended up chasing him onto one of those black paths. He got across in time, but one of those Upwalker monsters came by and hit me. My left back leg was broken, and the Upwalkers brought me in here."

This tom spoke in a strange way that it was difficult for me to understand. City? Upwalkers? Amidst my pondering, I came to the conclusion that a city was that large area of Twoleg buildings Storm and I had gone to for water, and Upwalkers were just another name for Twolegs. "How about you?" he asked suddenly.

Taking a deep breath, I began to recount my long journey from the forest where I was born, to the present. The white tom just listened attentively, and when I was done, sat there for a moment. "Sounds like you've been through a lot," he mused quietly.

I let out a hollow laugh. "You have no idea."

The tom smiled weakly. "What do they call you, she-cat?"

"Cat," I answered, and waited for some jibe that never came.

He just regarded me calmly. "Interesting. My name is October."

_October? What does that even mean? What she-cat in their right mind would name their kit October?_ I wondered, and then regretted it. Who was I to judge him for his name when I had my own? _What she-cat could name their kit Cat?_ my subconscious sneered at me.

"That's a nice name," I meowed politely.

"Do you have any kits?" he asked without warning. The unusual, off-topic question took me by surprise.

"No…" I replied slowly. "Do you?"

October shook his head. "No… but I always wanted them. I can't after being in here though."

Confusion washed through me like a wave. What on earth did he mean? I watched him through the bars like he was some deranged, mental case. "What do you mean you can't have them now? What's stopping you from finding a mate and… getting it on besides being trapped in here?"

He looked at me strangely as if it were common knowledge. "Well, I guess you wouldn't know since you're feral. All cats who come here are taken to the Cutter… well unless they go to the Back Room. They… I don't know how to describe it because I don't know exactly what happens. They put you to sleep, and when you want up you're… different. Whatever they do while you're unconscious prevents you from mating."

Unable to articulate words, I just sat there and stared at October in shock. What had they done to me when I passed out? Had I already been to the Cutter and not even known it? What in the name of the spirits above _was_ this place?!

* * *

A/N: Did you like this chapter? Leave a review and let me know! If you've liked what you've seen here and you wanna see more, click on my username to see more!


	19. Chapter 18

_The Seeker - Chapter 18_

This is an exciting one. October makes a decision.

I don't own Warriors.

* * *

**Chapter Eighteen**

I awoke the next morning to a startled yowl. Sitting up in my cage, I saw October being brought out and placed on the silver tables. "October!" I yowled, pounding my front paws against the strange wire door. "October, run!"

The white tom looked toward me, and then toward the large, wooden door that led to the outside world. While one Twoleg had their back turned, he bolted for the door. "Go!" I caterwauled. I continued to pound on the door of my cage with my paws, wishing I could join him. Then, without warning, the door gave way, and I fell to the strange, smooth floor.

It took me a moment to process the fact that I was free, but once I wound my brain around it, I pelted toward the door after October. I could hear the heavy footfalls of the Twolegs as they ran after us, but I was able to slip out the door. I saw October backed up into a corner, hissing and striking out with his claws as and older, female Twoleg tried to pick him up. Unable to bring myself to lead him, I sprinted over and sliced my claws across her ankle.

The Twoleg cried out in pain, and October was able to slip past her. Together, we bounded forward, dodging around the many Twolegs that were trying to grab us. We headed toward an open space, and the moment we set paw on a strange, rubbery black substance, two clear panels slid open and a gust of fresh air hit us both in the face. "Run!" October hissed, shoving me forward.

The moment my paws hit the grass once more, energy flooded throughout my body like a tidal wave. The fact that we were outside and free gave my strength. I led the way deeper into the forest, enjoying the feeling of the wind rushing through my fur. Letting out a _mrrow_ of laughter, I continued forward, feeling as if I could run forever.

We were approaching a game trail up ahead, and just as I stepped out onto the small path, I was blindsided by a dark shape. Hissing, I instinctively unsheathed my claws and slashed at my attacker. A cat yowled in pain as my claws made contact with flesh. "Cat! Stop it!" a familiar voice snarled.

Opening my eyes and turning to get a better look at the new cat, I realized—with great joy—that it was Storm! "Storm!" I yowled before launching myself into him, tackling him to the ground. My mate purred in laughter and muzzled my cheek gently. "I thought I'd never find you!" I purred licking his ear.

Smiling up at me, he sighed contentedly. "I never thought I'd find you either." His face suddenly softened, becoming more concerned. "I thought you were gone for good when the Twolegs got you! Soda and I traveled non-stop trying to track the Twolegs! How did you escape?!"

Sliding off him, I looked around for October, and spotted the white tom crouched behind a holly bush. "October, come here," I meowed calmly. "This is my mate, Storm. He won't hurt you. Storm, this is October, he helped me escape." Storm nodded at my new friend who had emerged onto the game trail. "Where is Soda? You said he came here with you?"

"Hunting," Storm replied, unenthusiastically. "He wasn't too keen on finding you. He considered you dead the moment the Twolegs grabbed you."  
I think Storm expected me to feel upset by Soda's lack of concern, but I truly didn't blame him. "Any cat would be terrified if a Twoleg picked a friend up. He probably thought that they would kill me… and they could have if they wanted to… Who knows, if October and I didn't get out when we did, I might have been killed."

Storm flattened his ears against his head. "Still," he sniffed, lashing his tail. "He could have been more concerned for you. I was panicking virtually the entire time… Soda was probably the only thing that kept me from going insane. He knocked some sense into me at least. Now, are you going to tell me how you two escaped?"

Taking a deep breath, I began to explain to him how everything happened—how they brought October out and that I kept banging on the bars of my cage until it opened and we were able to run out the door. "Thank the spirits you're safe!" Storm exclaimed, resting his head on mine.

"Cat!" another voice yowled. I turned around just in time to see Soda burst through a clump of ferns, carrying a limp squirrel in his jaws. He meowed something, but it was muffled by his catch.

"Sorry, I didn't catch that," I mewed, feeling Storm press closer to me. I shot him a questioning glance, hoping he didn't start this unnessicary hate for Soda again. I wasn't exactly fond of the scatterbrained tom either, but we needed him, especially now that I had no idea where in the name of the spirits we were.

Soda dropped his squirrel and padded over. Without warning, he pressed his muzzle to my cheek. "I'm so glad to see you! I didn't think we'd find you again," he said, pulling back, purring.

I heard a growl rumble in Storm's chest and flicked his left haunch with my tail. "Yeah, I heard that you were very concerned about my whereabouts when I was gone."

The light gray tom's head drooped. "I'm sorry, Cat. I thought you were a goner, and I'm really glad that you're alive." His gaze flickered to something behind me and he hissed. "Get down!" Suddenly, he charged past me and tackled October to the ground.

"No! Soda, stop it!" I yowled trying to yank him off. "He's my friend!"

Soda stopped but glared at the white cat. "Who are you?!"

October got up, trembling, and clearly bewildered by the whole experience. "My name is October! I escaped the Twolegplace with Cat!"

"I'm so sorry about that, October," I told him, resting my matted tail on his flank. "Some of my friends were never taught manners!" I hissed, shooting a glare at Soda.

The gray tom looked at his paws. "I'm sorry. You'll have to forgive me—I've been through a lot when it comes to strange cats. I attacked Cat and Storm when I first met them thinking they were stealing my prey."

"Yes, and you nearly killed Cat!" Storm snarled, his body tensing considerably.

Soda ignored Storm and continued to look at October. "Hmm, you seem familiar though… Do I know you from somewhere?"

I looked at October questioningly, wondering if the white tom did have any recollection of this strange, awkward tomcat. October took a step back. "I don't think so… there are others that look like me though I'm sure."

Soda shrugged his shoulders.

"So, shouldn't we be on our way?" I inquired, shooting a glance at Storm.

My mate nodded. "I agree. Soda, can you lead us to RiverClan from here?"

"Should be able to," he responded, turning to leave. Storm and I followed him, leaving October behind us.

"Can I come with you?" the white cat suddenly piped up.

I turned around to face him and shot him an appraising look. I hadn't really been able to get a good look at him in the Twolegplace, but I could now see that he was quite muscular, and could be useful in a fight. He also had a cool, kind of levelheadedness about him that I liked. He was a cat I could definitely get along with easily. "Are you up to the challenge? The road ahead is certainly not an easy one. You already know that I'm going there to find my father, and I don't know what's going to happen once I do. I need cats with me that will be on my side, and that I can trust. Can I trust you?"

October nodded without hesitating. "Yes, you can. I might not be the same as I was before I went to the Cutter, but don't be mistaken—I can throw down if I need to. I'm a good tracker, and can pick up scents. I don't know where else to go, or what else I would do, so going with you seems to be my best option."

Nodding, I turned to Storm and Soda. "Any objections to him coming along?" I asked.

Storm shook his head—I knew he would agree—but Soda shrugged. "It's not like I have a choice anyway."

"Good. October, welcome to the group."

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A/N: Don't worry. Almost done.

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	20. Chapter 19

_The Seeker - Chapter 19_

Tensions rise between toms battling over who's going to be alpha male.

I don't own Warriors.

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**Chapter Nineteen**

It took a few days, but Soda finally got us back to his territory, and to the river. Once we reached the river, hunting was good, and October was able to catch a plump starling all four of us could share. After our meal, we followed the river until we reached the falls. Gallons of water poured down a cliff that seemed to be a sky-length high, creating a white mist at its base. As the water flowed away from the falls, it created a large pond that then ran back into a river.

"Great spirits," October breathed as we stood at the base of the cliff, looking upward at the tons of water that fell.

"You took the words right out of my mouth," Soda meowed before tearing his eyes away from the water and looking to the massive stone cliff. "Well… I doubt there is a way we could climb that!"

Gazing at the cliff with uncertainty I padded forward and looked up at the face of the rock, trying to find even the smallest path. "If there is a way to scale it, we must try. I don't want to waste any more time making a detour to get around it. Even I'm tired of this journey," I muttered.

Storm nodded in agreement and stepped up beside me. "Cat, why don't you and I look around for a way to get up the cliff-face while Soda and October try to find a way to go around that's nearby?" he suggested.

I nodded. "Sounds like a good idea," I replied before turning to face Soda and October. "If you want, you two can hunt on your way back. And if Storm and I can't find a way up, we can as well."

Soda nodded obediently, before padding off into the forest with October following closely behind. Once they were out of earshot, Storm turned to me. "So, do they both seem okay to you?"

"Okay?" I asked, unable to hide the confusion in my voice. "What do you mean by 'okay'?"

Storm shrugged. "I mean… I don't know… do you think they are trustworthy?"

Heading toward the cliff to being looking for a passage up, I lashed my tail. "If I didn't, do you think I would still have them here? Relax, Storm! I think they're okay. I know October's a good cat. I don't know Soda that well, but his intentions appear to be good."

Storm hummed disapprovingly. "You already know my opinion on that lousy waste of fur, so I won't bore you with it again, but October seems okay."

Rolling my eyes, I padded along the base of the cliff, looking upward. "I don't think there's a way to get up there," Storm commented, padding up beside me.

"Cat!" Soda's voice yowled from within the trees. Without waiting a moment longer, I bounded forward, hearing Storm's paws pounding behind me. I burst through an elderberry push, causing pollen from their flowers to create somewhat of a mist around us. "There you are!" Soda mewed with relief. "We found a path up the cliff, come on! It's more hill-like than near the falls. October found it; he's waiting for us there!"

"Great job!" I purred, padding after him as he led the way to the indicated area. What Soda said was true—this place looked more like a hill, then a rock-face that rose straight up. It would be somewhat difficult to walk up it, but it would work. A mixture of happiness and anxiety made my stomach twist. We were so close to finding my father, and all those doubts I had before began to return. Would he even want me? Or would he reject me like he had before?

"Come on!" October called before bounding up the hill with Soda close behind. Storm remained at my side, and entwined his tail with mine. "Are you feeling alright?" he asked in a whisper while gazing at me with concerned blue eyes.

I nodded. "I think so… I'm just a little scared about… meeting him, you know? We're so close, and I feel good about it, but…"

Storm pressed his muzzle to my ear reassuringly. "Don't worry about it. If he doesn't want you, it's his loss! He's definitely not a cat you'd want, or need in your life. Remember, Cat, no matter what happens, I'm here for you."

My mate's words both soothed and reassured me. I knew that he would always be at my side, and I loved him for that. After all the things we'd been through—all the trials, and all the obstacles that the spirits had put in our way—we had survived, and made it through as one. I realized that no matter what happened, we would always be together, and I was okay with that, father or no father.

The climb up the hill was steep, and exhausting, but we all made it. When we reached the top, we slowly began to make our way back to the river, hunting along the way. October was able to make another amazing catch, bringing down a large rabbit that burst through the reeds of the river as we neared it.

After we'd fed, we continued to follow the river, walking along the rapids that were way too rough to even consider swimming across. "I think the territory is on the other side," Soda finally mewed, stopping to gaze at the wide expanse of water.

"Fox-dung," I muttered under my breath as I stopped to look across the river as well. On the opposite side, reeds and cattails lined the shores, and farther inland, willow trees stood erect with their long, vine-like leaves swaying gently in the breeze. "Well, we're gonna have to find a way across."

October and Storm had stopped now too and were standing by me. October twitched his whiskers thoughtfully, obviously deep in thought. "We might find stones farther down that we can cross on," he offered.

"Perhaps," Storm murmured. "But we need a back-up plan if there aren't any."

"What do you suggest?" Soda asked irritably. "Swim it?"

"We might have to," October replied, looking our light gray companion. "In calmer water of course."

Soda stared at him as if the white cat had gone mad. "It might be our only option," I put in, exchanging an uneasy glance with Storm. The last time I had been in water, it had been because Storm pushed me, and it took days for my pelt to fully dry. I didn't want to get wet again anytime soon, but I might not have any other choice.

"You aren't serious!?" Soda demanded, his fur bristling at the thought of leaping into the frothing water. "There is no way I am swimming!"

"Then you will left behind!" Storm snapped, anger flashing in his flawless blue eyes. After a moment, he looked away and allowed his fur to lie flat. "Hopefully none us will have to get our paws wet. Let's continue on and see what we find."

Just as Storm suggested, we proceeded on upstream until we came upon a strange, Twoleg structure stretching across the river. "What _is_ that?!" Storm hissed, his neck fur rising. We approached the structure cautiously, not sure if it was a trap or not. It appeared to be just what we needed to cross the river and find RiverClan.

"Hmm…" October meowed, appraising the object curiously. "I think it's called a bridge. Twolegs use it to cross things like rivers, or those strange black paths."

"Well why don't we use it to get across before some Twoleg comes by?" I suggested, padding forward. October went with me, and soon Storm followed. It took Soda a bit longer, but he eventually crossed. Once we were on the other side, a new smell slapped me in the face. It was musty, as if water hung in the air making it smell… moist, and a tang of fish hung in the air. "RiverClan territory," I whispered, half to myself.

My companions stepped up beside me and stared at the marshy forest composed of mostly ferns, and willow trees. "Well… any idea where—"

"Hey!" a yowl split the air to my let, cutting me off.

We all turned just in time to see a group of sleek, well-fed cats come sprinting toward us with a large, broad-shouldered brown tom in the lead. As he got closer, I saw that his fur got darker around his ankles, paws and tail. "What are you doing on RiverClan territory, rogues?!" he demanded. His voice was thick with smug authority and sarcasm. Something about him just made me want to claw his face off.

I saw that my companions were all looking at me to answer him, so I did. :We are looking for a cat named Icefur. Do you know him?" I queried calmly, despite the annoyance that was bubbling beneath my skin at the brown tom.

His lips curled back in a sneer. "Why should I answer your questions, rogue? If anything, _I_ should be the one asking the questions!" he hissed.

Taking a deep breath, I looked him right in the eye, and replied: "I need to find him. He is my father."

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A/N: One more chapter + epilogue.

Did you like this chapter? Leave a review and let me know! If you've liked what you've seen here and you wanna see more, click on my username to see more!


	21. Chapter 20

_The Seeker - Chapter 20_

This is the last chapter ladies and gents. After this, I just have to upload the epilogue. :)

I don't own Warriors.

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**Chapter Twenty**

The brown tom gazed at me in disbelief. "You're lying!" he hissed, outraged.

"Oh, stop it, Beavertail!" a ginger she-cat growled. "You know that Icestar was once a rogue. It's very possible that he fathered kits all those moons ago."

"Lilypool is right," a large black tom agreed. He stepped closer to us, and I noticed he had a long scar down the right side of his face. "Icestar—"

"We aren't looking for Icestar," Storm interrupted. "The cat's name is Icefur."

The brown tom looked at us quizzically for a moment before rolling his eyes. "Well I guess that you rogues wouldn't know," he muttered disdainfully.

"Leave them alone, Beavertail!" the she-cat who had spoken before in our favor did so again. "It's not their fault they don't know." She then turned to address us. "When cat get their ranking changed—like from kit to apprentice, or apprentice to warrior, or deputy to leader, their name gets changed to signify their status."

"Sounds complicated," Soda voiced my thoughts. Then he added something very unnessicary. "And stupid."

"Maybe to you!" Beavertail snapped. "But to _warriors_ it's important!"

"Names are pointless!" I growled, feeling defensive of my own. I didn't want this Beavertail to learn my name, or else I knew that he would never let me live it down. "It doesn't matter where you're from, or what your name is, but what you do as a cat."

The she-cat smiled at me. "Great StarClan, I do hope you stay! I think you and I will get along perfectly!"

"I don't know if we're staying," I told her quickly. "We just wanted to find my father."

Beavertail let out a hiss of annoyance. "This is completely minnow-brained! All of it! These cats are trespassing on our territory! They wanna see Icestar? Why don't we let them?! Then they'll think twice about coming onto our territory again!" The brown tom glared at us, flexing his claws, clearly itching for a fight.

October stepped it, watching the unfamiliar tom carefully. "Listen friend, we don't want any trouble."

"Well too bad!" the tom replied, moving closer. "Because you've got it!"

The black tom who had remained silent for a long time let out a hiss. "Enough of this!" he growled, stepping in between my group and Beavertail. "We will take them back to camp—there is no question of that, but once there, Icestar will decide what is to be done with them!"

Beavertail backed off significantly after this, but clearly had more to say. The black tom shot him one final, warning glare before leading the way back through the forest toward their camp. Storm walked close to my side, his tail entwined with mine. I knew that he would support me no matter what, but my stomach still churned restlessly at the fact that, in minutes, I would be meeting my biological father.

To get to the actual camp, we had to wade across a shallow stream that none of my companions enjoyed. Storm was muttering beside me, and I heard Soda curse various times behind me. October and I were the only two that remained silent and kept our complaints to ourselves during the crossing.

Once on the other side, we passed through a small clump of ferns and emerged into a large clearing. Right in front of us, on the east side of the camp, stood a massive stone that jutted out of the ground in a majestic manner. Along with the ferns, there were various other plants including reeds and cattails around that made up the dens. Underneath the large stone a broad-shouldered white tom sat with his tail curled around his large paws. He just sat there, watching us. His bright green eyes examined us thoroughly while I did the same to him. He looked relatively old, but there was an energetic look in his eyes. There was also a long scar stretching across his right flank.

This was my father.

The black tom brought us right up to him. "Icestar," he greeted, dipping his head respectively. "These cats wanted to see you."

By this time, more cats had gathered around, creating an audience. All were so curious as to why these strangers were in their camp. "Oh?" Icestar meowed, looking at my curiously. "Well thank, you Blackclaw, you may leave if you wish." He then turned from his Clan-mate to us. "State your business here."

I gazed at him evenly, trying to put the words together in my head before speaking. I felt Storm's tail rest against my flank, and felt a burst of confidence. "My name is Cat and these are my companions," I told him, flicking my tail at them. "My mate: Storm, Soda, and October. We have traveled a long way to speak with you. My mother said that she… knew you."

Hid eyes widened slightly, but I could see that he was trying to conceal his surprise. "Probably; I knew many during my days as a loner. What was her name?"

Taking a deep breath, I looked him in the eye. "Her name was Misty… and you're my father."

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A/N: Did you like this chapter? Leave a review and let me know! If you've liked what you've seen here and you wanna see more, click on my username to see more!


	22. Epilogue

_The Seeker - Epilogue_

Okay, I'm sure all of my Twilight fans by now are like: "Hm... Okay, that was interesting now where the **** is Salvation?!" I know, that I clogged a lot of inboxes by posting this, but I needed to. And here is why.

I belonged to a website for Warriors, .com, and now, I'm a heck of a lot older now than I was when I started it. I'm in high school, and I'm more grown up now. I decided that it was time to say goodbye to that chapter of my life and move on to different things. The only reason why I went on that site in the first place was for my fanfictions. Now, that I have left, I decided to post the most popular ones here so if any of those fans want to continue reading them, they are welcome to come here.

I like writing my Warriors fanfics, and I probably will still continue them as long as I have readers. I hope I will. Like I said though, I'm older now and can't post regularly, which many of you know. The thing is about that website I was on is that those little kids are freaking demanding, and if you don't pump out a chapter every other day, they aren't sticking around, so I didn't see a point anymore.

I will probably continue to post the sequel to this, here. I just felt that you all needed an explanation for all the sudden chapters.

I do not own Warriors.

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**Epilogue**

**One Moon Before**

A slender white she-cat emerged from a small den composed mostly of feathers and brambles. The pale, silver light of the waning moon shone down into the small island camp, making everything shine a pale gray color. She cast one glance over her shoulder at the pale ginger she-cat suckling her newborn kittens. When she turned around, a white tom had appeared before her, as if he were a ghost. "How is Gingertail?" he pressed. His voice was thick with anxiety.

"Fine, Icestar," the she-cat replied calmly. "You have three healthy kits—two toms and a little she-kit."

The white tom let out a sigh of relief. "Thank StarClan! This is great news. The Clan needs more kits while it's still greenleaf. Before we know it, the leaves will begin to fall, and then the snow. RiverClan is fortunate to have you as our medicine cat, Shoreleaf."

Shoreleaf stifled a purr of gratitude before allowing her face to return to its somber look. "Birth is a time for celebration… but I fear that StarClan has decided to make the birth of your kits a slightly less happy moment."

Icestar's shoulders immediately stiffened as he gazed at her with a worried, but stern look. "What do you mean? What have they said to you?"

The medicine cat shook her head. "An ominous prophecy…"

"About _my_ kits?!" he asked, clearly stunned by this new revelation.

Shoreleaf shook her head. "I do not know, Icestar. They predicted dark times ahead for RiverClan."

His lips curled back in a snarl. "What else did they say exactly?" he demanded.

The she-cat narrowed her eyes as she concentrated on reciting the words correctly. "_A cat of mist and ice who seeks the truth, and interprets the will of your ancestors will come and save the Clans from the Wolf who hunts among us,_" she told him, her voice barely above a whisper.

Icestar stared at her, bewildered. "'Of mist and ice'? What does that even mean?!" he hissed in annoyance. It ruffled his fur when he couldn't understand something, especially when it was something important.

"I do not know, Icestar," the medicine cat replied. "But I think that we shall find out soon."

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A/N: It's over.

Did you like this chapter? Leave a review and let me know! If you've liked what you've seen here and you wanna see more, click on my username to see more!


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